Lowers looks to lead Yellowjackets to state title
Saturday, December 3, 2005
By JIM BUTTA - The Parkersburg News & The Parkersburg Sentinel

WILLIAMSTOWN - For years, Penn State University has been known as 'Linebacker-U' while Brigham Young University was also touted as the school you should attend if you wanted to be a top-notch quarterback.

Well, in the Mountain State if running the football is your niche, then you might want to attend Williamstown High School these days.

Dating back to the days of Kennedy Award winner Rick Petty, the maroon and gold has been a warehouse for powerful and talented tailbacks.

Names like Dave White, Tony Flinn and Alan Tracewell are just a few of the ball carriers who have led the maroon and gold through outstanding regular seasons and into the postseason.

The latest to add his name to that list is senior Tyler Lowers.

A returning first team all-state selection, the senior saved his best for the playoffs as he has his Yellowjackets one win away from the school's first-ever football title.

"Tyler is just a very talented athlete," said Williamstown head coach Terry Smith. "But, he would also be the first to tell you that he couldn't have accomplished what he has without the help of some very talented players around him."

True, but when the unbeaten (13-0) and No. 1 ranked Yellowjackets found themselves in a 0-0 battle with No. 5 St Marys in the semifinals last weekend at Williamstown, Smith and his assistants put the ball into the hands of their six-foot, 176-pounder.

And, like he has since taking over the starting tailback duties at the start of his junior year, Lowers didn't let his team down, carrying the football on every play of Williamstown's six-play drive and scoring the first touchdown of the game.

Williamstown would add a field goal and another touchdown to its side of the scoreboard in its 17-0 win, but it was Lowers that again got things rolling for the boys from Wood County.

"I've tried to be like them (the runners of the past)," said Lowers, who has rushed for 1,745 yards and 19 touchdowns this season. "You kind of look up to those guys and you really don't want to be the one that doesn't live up to them."

"Tyler has meant a lot to our offense," said Smith. "The guys have confidence when the ball is in his hands and he has always come up big when we needed him most."

One of those times will come at 7 p.m. today when Williamstown takes on No. 15 Wheeling Central, the defending state champion, at Wheeling Island Stadium.

"Both teams like to run the football," said Central head coach Mike Young. "And, both teams like to stop the other team from running the football."

The team that accomplishes those two goals will win the title Saturday night.

So far that has been the Yellowjackets, who average 245.8 yards per game on the ground while allowing a measly 115.2 ypg.

"Again it comes down to running the football and stopping the run," said Smith.

"It just becomes a little more important when you get to this game."

A game the Yellowjackets have been to only twice before in school history while the Maroon Knights will be making their third visit to the championship game in the last four years.

"This is the matchup everybody has waited to see," explained Young. "It should be a classic."

And, you can bet, Lowers will be in the spotlight.

Contact Jim Butta via e-mail at jbutta@newsandsentinel.com.