Williamstown’s Carson Haines (21) runs with the ball during a high school football playoff game against Moorefield last week. (Photo by Nikki Allen)

WILLIAMSTOWN — From here on-out, the Wheeling Central Maroon Knights are most likely road-warriors.

After defeating Nicholas County handily in their first-round matchup, No. 5 Wheeling Central (9-2) will travel southwest to face No. 4 Williamstown (9-2) in a much-anticipated matchup, and a rematch between the two teams. The Yellowjackets defeated the Maroon Knights 36-25 in Central’s third game of the year.

The Knights have not been beaten since.

“We definitely know each other, and not just this season,” Wheeling Central head coach Mike Young said in an interview Wednesday. “We usually play each other at some point in the playoffs, I think we’ve played three or four times for the state championship.

“We have players back that weren’t playing against them in our last game. We have kids who feel they have improved, our coaches feel they have improved. Of course, I’m sure they’ve improved too.

“Both of us are going in 9-2, in a playoff battle down in Williamstown, that’s not unusual to us and it should be a fun football game Friday.”

Wheeling Central had a big first quarter lead in that game before Williamstown bounced back.

The Yellowjackets are partaking in their 25th straight postseason, a long streak that has come about by performances like Williamstown’s first-round game against Moorefield, a 47-21 shellacking. That game was sparked by a blocked punt by Williamstown’s Danner Hooper, and recovery in the end zone by Jenner Burge as the Yellowjackets led 33-0 at halftime.

“We know Central is much improved and we’re going to have our hands full,” said Williamstown head coach Chris Beck. “It’s the nature of the beast. If you look across double-A the quarterfinals are going to be a drag out. You got six or seven teams that are really, really good and there’s going to be a lot of great quarterfinal matches.”

Plays like blocked punts could seem like luck, but for a team that has been as successful as Williamstown over the last quarter-century, Young knows that it is anything but.

“Some teams have an M.O. that continues year-in, year-out, and it comes from tradition,” Young said.

“We’ve only missed the playoffs twice in the last 25 years. We have accumulated 11 state championships in those 25 years, and that’s a tribute to the kids that we’ve had. We’ve battled Williamstown, Moorefield, the state contenders. I think a lot of what your teams do, it comes from the culture that they grow up in and come into.”

Williamstown quarterback Lynken Joy completed 7 of 9 for 86 yards with three touchdowns and also rushed six times for 79 yards against Moorefield, leaving with the starters following a 12-yard TD strike to Carson Haines with six minutes left in the third quarter last Friday.

“He’s a huge part of their offense, it all revolves around him whether it’s the zone read, the trap or him keeping it off-tackle,” Young said of Joy. “He throws the ball well, he’s got good receivers and his line does a good job.”

“Credit to their program and to coach [Chris] Beck for using those kids and getting them to excel.”

Wheeling Central has found an embarrassment of rushing riches as the season has gone on and ball-carriers have come into their own- or come back into the fold after returning from injury.

Kade Koroneos was the star against Nicholas County, rushing for 104 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown run on the first play of the game. Isaac Martin ran for 97 yards and a score to surpass 1,000 on the season and Braeden McWreath ran for 47 yards on five carries, also grabbing an interception on defense.

“It’s good balance, being able to move the ball around to fresh legs, a fresh back,” Young said. “Being able to exploit inside and outside. Then we do a good job of throwing the ball downfield to good receivers. We feel like we have different ways to attack offensively and different ways to defend.”

“That’s what you’ve got to have when you’re into the postseason. That’s a credit to our coaches, to our senior leadership, our kids and our program.”

Coach Young pointed out the importance of his offensive and defensive linemen- Hunter Kerr, Troy Mortakis, Olen Ames, Dominic Asbury, Carver Bolon, Zeke Burkle, and Luke Wear- to the team.

“We’re only able to do any of this because of our guys in the trenches, the guys who are looking up-front and defending up-front,” he said. “They’re as important as the guys in the backfield and the secondary. I attribute a lot of success to our blocking and our tackling.”

As more teams drop out of contention, the competition gets stiffer. Central is expecting a battle Friday.

“Our expectations at Wheeling Central are high, just like Williamstown’s are high,” Young said. “I don’t think any school would want it any other way. A lot of times, championships go through Williamstown or through Wheeling Central. Both have been contenders over the last 20 years, we just happen to be meeting in the second round Friday.”

Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. at Williamstown High School.