Williamstown’s Lynken Joy (2) carries the ball during last week’s 29-21 win over Wheeling Central in the W.Va. Class AA state quarterfinals. (Photo by Nikki Allen)

WILLIAMSTOWN — The Law of Physicality. Been there. Done that.

When top-ranked Frankfort (12-0) and No. 4 Williamstown (10-2) meet for the second time this season, the game will in all likelihood be won in the trenches.

The Yellowjackets got an up close and personal look at the Falcons during the latter half of the regular season and lost at home 27-7.

The stakes are much greater Friday as the two schools meet in Frankfort in the semifinals of the Class AA state football playoffs.

“Frankfort may be more run heavy – we are two very similar teams, but they probably have 30 to 40 pounds on us across the line,” Williamstown coach Chris Beck said. “They start nine seniors on offense and eight seniors on defense. They are senior heavy. They are a big and physical football team.”

Williamstown, seeking its third state title in as many years, advanced with wins over Moorefield (47-21) and Wheeling Central (29-21). Against Wheeling Central last Friday on their home field, the Yellowjackets overcame two second-half turnovers which led to a pair of Maroon Knight touchdowns.

Trailing 21-14 early in the fourth quarter, Williamstown stuck to the ground attack and completed the comeback behind quarterback Lynken Joy, who finished with 233 yards on 41 carries and four touchdowns.

“Coaches told us, if we have adversity we have to stay in it,” Joy said. “That helped us at the end.

“Central is always a good win for us and the fact we made it to the semifinals is a good feeling.”

Backfield mate Cooper Billingsley added another 107 yards on 14 carries.

“I’m proud of our guys – they showed a lot of resiliency against a good football team,” Beck said. “It’s a series with a lot of history where both teams are very familiar with each other and played a lot of meaningful games against one another.

“There was a lot of extra passion and the guys responded.”

Frankfort’s postseason road includes wins over Westside (45-0) and Bluefield (27-6). Since defeating a pair of teams from Maryland in the first five weeks of the schedule, the Falcons have outscored their seven opponents 296-26.

Joy had success running the ball against Frankfort and finished with 144 yards on 23 carries. His 2-yard TD run tied the game at 7-7 in the second quarter.

Otherwise, Frankfort’s defense stifled Williamstown – keeping Joy’s passing numbers in check (6-of-17, 112 yards with one interception) and limiting the rest of the Yellowjacket ball-carriers to just 36 yards on 17 carries.

If Williamstown can find a way to free up Billingsley, Joy will become that more of a threat.

“The game against Wheeling Central, Cooper has had games like that all year – he has become more comfortable running the ball each week,” Beck said. “He has 997 yards rushing and he kind of goes unnoticed for a guy about ready to cross that 1,000-yard plateau.”

Billingsley has paid his dues to become a first-yar starter as a senior. He didn’t play football until his freshman year of high school.

“Cooper was good friends with a kid who lived on my street – I knew he had won the 100 in middle school and I talked him into coming out for the football team,” Beck said. “His older brother played for us and enjoyed it, so I think Cooper wanted to spend time with him.”

In order to advance to the state championship game for the fourth year in a row, Williamstown will have to replicate last week’s success up front, which resulted in 345 yards rushing. Of the 61 plays from scrimmage, all but three were designed for the run.

“Williamstown is a very good football team,” Frankfort coach Frank Whiteman said after their regular season meeting on a Saturday afternoon in mid-October. “They play very physical and I love a team like that.”

Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com