MOUNDSVILLE — John Marshall sophomore Reid Hamrick coaxed a 34-yard field goal over the uprights with just 8.4 seconds left to lift the debuting Monarchs to a 23-21 conquest of visiting Marietta on Friday night on the home turf in Moundsville.

John Marshall thus captured its first season-opening victory since 2018, and it was a welcomed win but certainly not trouble-free. Marietta, which lost its own opener last week to Morgan 31-16, was no pushover.

Another John Marshall sophomore, running back Dalton Cooper, was the star of the show with 18 carries for 243 yards and two touchdowns, while scoring a third touchdown on a pass reception. Also a beast at defensive end, Cooper is blessed with gifts that transcend the ordinary and will represent a beacon of hope in Monarchville this year.

But it was Hamrick who provided the winning points. After John Marshall forced a punt with 1:30 left, it took over at its own 35 with no timeouts left and went to work. QB Kayden Knapp completed three passes in the drive, with a 9-yard, third-down slant to Cain Martin the big play. That set the stage for Hamrick.

“I had confidence in him,” said John Marshall head coach Mark Cisar, who booted a couple of field goals at this same field while starring at Magnolia. “I don’t know how nervous he was. I would have been damn nervous if I was him.”

The Monarchs rushed for an even 300 yards, with Knapp adding 30 on well-timed scrambles. The passing game was not as true, with Knapp going 10-for-19 for 109 yards and three interceptions. JM had a gadget-play pass picked off, too.

“We let them hang around,” Cisar said. “We had a chance to kinda take charge of the game, had some turnovers. Turnovers happen. We’ll clean that up. We had some wrong reads, ran a wrong route. That’s on me.

“But I can’t tell you how hard our kids played. Fighting, fighting, fighting. And the defense stepped up. Didn’t bend, didn’t break.”

Marietta earned 207 yards on 45 ground plays, led by Kobe Alexander with 26 carries for 94 yards and a touchdown. Marietta’s pass attack went 8-for-16 for 71 yards, John Marshall had the edge in first downs 15-12, but the visitors did not turn the ball over.

John Marshall senior Mason Markonich went sideline-to-sideline from his middle linebacker in a dazzling display of tenacity and athleticism. Landen Snyder, Hayden Fordyce and Jacob Cisar were defensive hammers, as well.

But make no mistake — this team will ride the jetstream of young Cooper to its successes this season. The sophomore ran an 11.09 in the 100-m dash on the track last year and is built for football. Cooper showed ability to plant his foot and turn the corner — as he did for 75 yards on JM’s first play from scrimmage — but he also did not negotiate at the point of contact, either. He’s going to run over nearly as many people as he runs by this year. His style can be summed as patient yet frantic, depending upon the hole in the line (or lack thereof).

Next week he’ll be playing in the presence of Weir High great Quincy Wilson, who has returned to his alma mater to coach the football team. It will mark a rare head-coaching showdown between two Kennedy Award winners in he and Cisar.