No.2 Seed

 The Williamsburg Yellow Jackets clinched the number two seed in the district and will get to host a first-round playoff game November 6.

The Yellow Jackets earned the spot after turning back the Lynn Camp Wildcats at Union College Saturday, 26-12. The game, originally scheduled for Lynn Camp, was moved to Union and its artificial turf due to muddy field conditions.

The move benefited the Yellow Jackets passing attack of senior quarterback Ryan Moses and receivers J.P. Payne, Dusty Brown, Steven Taylor and Daniel Pettit.

“I’m really proud of this football team today,” said Williamsburg Coach Jerry Herron. “We only dressed 21 players.”

“It was a head-knocker that first half and the kids kept it together. We played a good football team today,” said Herron.

Williamsburg took advantage of two Lynn Camp fumbles to grab a 12-0 lead in the game. “When it’s dry and cold like this the football is slicker than when it is wet. Both teams had a hard time holding on to the ball.”

The Wildcats put together an impressive drive the first time they had the ball but ended up handing the ball over to Williamsburg on a Wesley Steele fumble.

The Jackets then drove the ball down the field and got to the six-yard line where the Wildcats defense rose to the occasion and held the Jackets out of the end zone.

Lynn Camp took over at the six and senior Tyron Person opened with a 12-yard run on first down, but two plays later Steele fumbled at the Lynn Camp 23-yard line.

It took Moses, the News Journal Player of the Week, just one play to hit J.P. Payne on a 23-yard pass play for the score. The Jackets missed the PAT, but led 6-0 at the 1:04 mark of the first quarter.

The third Lynn Camp drive also ended in a fumble at the Williamsburg seven-yard line by Person with 8:47 in the second period. Williamsburg put together a 91-yard drive and scored when Moses ran the ball in from 14 yards out at the 4:05 mark. The PAT failed once again.

However, this time Lynn Camp answered with a drive from their own 14-yard line. The big play was a 13-yard run and a 15-yard penalty that gave the Wildcats a first down at the LC 42.

A 15-yard pass from senior quarterback Josh Smith to Jared Ammon also gave the Wildcats a first-down at the Williamsburg 17. Four plays later Person held on to the ball for a nine-yard run and touchdown with just :59 ticks left on the clock in the half. The kick for the PAT failed and the teams went to the dressing room with Williamsburg on top, 12-6.

The Yellow Jackets came out in the third quarter ready to put the game away. A return by Steven Taylor set up the Jackets at the Williamsburg 37. A run by Moses and Lowrie gave the Jackets a first-down at the 48-yard line. Moses hit Payne on a 12-yard completion to the Lynn Camp 40-yard line. Moses finished up the drive with a 40-yard run down the field for six points. Williamsburg failed to convert the PAT, but led 18-6.

Fumbles, interceptions and penalties were order of the day as the teams continued to have trouble offensively.

Wildcat junior Dylan Rose put the ‘Cats in scoring position when he intercepted a Moses pass and ran the ball down to the Jackets nine-yard line with just under four minutes in the quarter. Person pushed the ball down to the five-yard line before a penalty backed the ball up to the 10. Two carries by Person got the ball to the six-yard yard line but Payne intercepted the Wildcats on fourth down.

The Jackets tried to push the ball in for a game-deciding touchdown early in the fourth quarter but the drive stalled at the 30-yard line where the Wildcats took over.

Lynn Camp was able to score with 8:42 left in the game on a one-yard run by Person. The conversion failed, but Lynn Camp was within a TD, 18-12.

The teams traded possessions before Williamsburg put the game away with a touchdown late in the game. Moses ran in the TD from six yards out then hit Dusty Brown on a PAT to put the Jackets ahead, 26-12 with 2:05 left in the game.

“I was very pleased with our defensive effort,” said Herron. “I was pleased with the pressure they put on Lynn Camp. It was a good win and gives us a home playoff game as the runner-up. It is not what we wanted but gives us a little more hardware for the trophy case but with all that has happened it’s good for these kids.”

“It all started here with a camp at Union and the district will end here,” he said. “Thank God we have a week off. I’ve never wanted a week off more than this year. We need the time off. We are going to take a few days then get back after it Tuesday.

The Jackets will return to action against Pineville, October 30 in Pineville.

Williamsburg 26, Lynn Camp 12

Williamsburg            6   6   6   8- 26

Lynn Camp             0   6   0   6- 12

W- J.P. Payne 23 pass from Ryan Moses (pass failed)

W- Ryan Moses 14 run (pass failed)

LC- Tyron Person 9 run (kick failed)

W- Moses 40 run (run failed)

LC- Person 1 run (run failed

W- Moses 6 run (Dusty Brown from Moses)