Athletic History Makers Cairy and Kelly Honored
"Every once in a while, one of our student-athletes does something so incredible that it has never been accomplished before in the history of Williamson. We have not one, but two such history makers from our fall athletic teams that we are going to honor here today."
Those were the words from long-time Williamson Director of Athletics Dale Plummer prior to calling senior soccer player Brandon Cairy and senior football player Joe Kelly to the stage to be honored in front of the entire student body for their record setting accomplishments. Cairy was honored for becoming the first three-time soccer All-American in school history, while Kelly was honored for becoming the first three-time conference Defensive Player of the Year, while also being the first Williamson player named as the league's Most Valuable Player.
Cairy came to Williamson from nearby Penncrest High School and had an immediate impact on the soccer program.
"You could tell right off the bat that Brandon was something special when he arrived on campus. He was a tremendous player for us as a freshman, and he had a huge impact on our program right away," shared Williamson head coach Peter Glowa.
Cairy was named a United States Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Soccer Division II Honorable Mention All-American after his freshmen year. Things only got better from there, as his play continued to excel, with him being named a Second Team All-American in 2022 after his junior year.
"You could see how much he improved from his first year. It was great to see," shared Glowa.
His senior season this past fall was when it all came together for Cairy. Despite missing five games due to a mid-season injury, he still managed to score 10 goals, while adding seven assists for an average of 2.40 points per game. More importantly, his play elevated Williamson to its first winning season since 2016. For his efforts, he was named a First-Team USCAA All-American after this season.
"Brandon is a generational type player. What he has accomplished at Williamson might not ever be accomplished again. Great players also make their teammates better and Brandon did just that. He was a joy to coach and we will certainly miss him in a huge way," said Glowa.
Similar to Cairy, Kelly had a huge impact on the football field right away for Williamson. His freshman year he led the Seaboard Conference in tackles, tackles for loss, and sacks in being named the league's Defensive Player of the Year. While his stats dropped a bit in 2022, the impact of his play didn't, as he often drew double or even triple teams in order to try to stop him. He still was named co-Defensive Player of the Year for his incredible efforts.
While his stats might have dropped in 2022, that was anything but the case in 2023, as he once again led the league in tackles, tackles for loss, and sacks. He once again was named co-Defensive Player of the Year, but in addition to that, his outstanding play led him to being named as the co-Seaboard Conference Most Valuable Player award winner. Both feats had never been accomplished before by a Williamson student-athlete before. In addition to his outstanding play on the field, he also has exceled in the classroom, as he is a three-time USCAA Academic All-American.
"Joe is irreplaceable," shared Williamson head coach Dan Drake. "Williamson has never seen anything like him, and might not see anything like him in the future. He was that good."
Both students were honored with commemorative plaques at the event, with Cairy also receiving his First Team All-American award from the USCAA.
