Wheels — Opportunities to make history rarely exist, so it’s important to take advantage of every opportunity. The Williamstown football team did just that Saturday in Wheeling.
The Yellow Jackets etched their name in the record books by defeating Greenbrier West 42-12 in the Class A state championship, becoming the first in program history to win back-to-back championships. While the contribution of the entire team to this ultimate goal cannot be denied, the accomplishments of the senior class will be remembered for a long time.
When talking about Williamstown’s senior class, it’s best to start with their leader, Maxwell Moressa, who won the Most Valuable Player award for the third consecutive year in the Super Six final (the first being a loss to St. Mary’s in the 2021 Championship). ). Molessa, fresh off a 160-yard, three-touchdown performance, was quick to credit the team when discussing his individual awards. “MVP is the team and the coaching staff. I just did my job and did everything I could to help us, but I’m really blessed.”
“Senpai, we’ve been working hard toward this moment since we were in elementary school. It’s truly a blessing to finish like this and actually achieve our goal.” Moressa, a senior, said he is at the top.
Senior lineman Aiden Corbett commented on the game: “We came out and played hard, played fast and played physical like we wanted to. I thought we minimized our mistakes and played great defense.”
Corbett isn’t sad that the road trip is over, but he feels bad for the Cavaliers. “I don’t feel sad like a lot of the players. I feel sorry for them when they lose. I don’t feel sad when they win. It’s definitely a happy feeling.”
Colt Hesson’s senior season didn’t go as planned, but it certainly ended in a fitting way. Hesson missed most of the season with a torn ACL, but was able to appear in the final play of the game with a hit knee for the Yellow Jackets. As he took a knee on the final play of the all-West Virginia finals, Hesson commented: “It’s really special. Obviously, this year wasn’t what I expected, but the coaches and players supported me. I was able to get down there and take a knee. It felt really great.”
“That’s great. I’ve been with these kids since kindergarten. It’s been great growing up with them and I can’t believe it’s already here.” Mr. Hesson commented on the passage of time.
Junior running back/linebacker Linken Joy will definitely miss the contributions of the senior class, but believes in the program’s ability to maintain standards. “Their influence is incredible for all of us. They’re good leaders and have been with us since day one, so it’s going to be a tough loss, but we have no choice but to bounce back.”
Yellow Jackets head coach Chris Beck also had kind words about the departing seniors. “I’m so happy for them. They deserve it. The kids deserve all the credit. We have great seniors who have spent four years at this. Many did, and their work ethic was exceptional. Their personalities are off the charts. They’re great teammates. They’re selfless. They care about each other so much. , are very competitive and just want to win. That’s very rare. To have that many people in one class and be able to do that is just a special group.”
Contact Aaron Lee at alee@newsandsentinel.com.