Great Effort by Football Team Not Enough

Facing a 5-1 Showtime Prep team and being down several key starters, Williamson knew is was a big underdog in their Homecoming game battle against the Silverbackz.  Despite that, Williamson was within one score midway through the fourth quarter until they ran out of gas in a 50-28 loss Saturday afternoon.

Williamson had a punt blocked in their opening possession and it took Showtime Prep all of 4 plays to move 43 yards to score.  The reached the endzone on an 11-yard pass from Brian Williams to Dashaun Shell.  The two-point conversion was no good.

Williamson grabbed their first and only lead of the game on a46-yard interception return for a touchdown by Cooper Conroy.  Their two-point conversion attempt was successful, as Christian Cerelli fond Nathan Barnshaw for the two points. 

Showtime Prep grabbed the lead back on a 3-yard run by Brian Williams at the 8:40 mark and would increase that lead to 18-6 on a Connor Hamilton 2-yard run at the 5:06 mark.

Williamson though would score right before half, as Nasir Simmons scored on a 1-yard run on a drive that was kept alive by a 48-yard reception by Nathan Barnshaw, giving Williamson a first and goal from the two.

Trailing 18-14 at the break, Williamson would then fall behind 24-14 before pulling to within four again on a crazy deflected pass off of Nasir Simmons right into the arms of Cooper Conroy to make it 24-20. 

Showtime Prep would go right down the field and score on the first play of the fourth quarter on a 59-yard TD pass from Williams to Jayvoun Scott, but again Williamson was not done, as Nasir Simmons would add his second one-yard TD run to make it 32-26.  The key to that touchdown was a 49-yard punt by substitute punter Cerelli that was fumbled by the return man and recovered by Jared Bartholomew.  An unsportsmanlike penalty call gave Williamson the ball at the Sliverbackz 8-yard line and eventually Simmons took it in from there. 

Showtime Prep would go on to score three touchdowns in a five-minute span to make the score look worse than it was.

"We battled.  We were undermanned but our guys battled hard.  We hung with them right until the when things go away from us, but I am proud of our guys and all that they did today," shared Williamson head coach Dan Drake. 

"It is tough being down so many guys to start the game and then losing a few during it, but our guys stepped up and played their hearts out."

Nathan Barnshaw was the star of the day for the Mechanics as far as yardage went, as he hauled in six receptions for 155 yards on the day.  Christian Cerelli led the team in rushing, as he gained a team high 51 yards on nine carries.  He also threw for 148 yards and the touchdown; however, he was sacked seven times on the day as well. 

Defensively, Ryan Creegan had his best day yet, just two games back from an early season injury, as he had nine tackles, including one for loss.  Derek Burke added seven tackles, including three for loss.  Dylan Brophy had a big day, as he had seven tackles and a fumble recovery. Jesse Rio and Copper Conroy both had interceptions on the day.

Williamson drops to 1-5 and will close out their 2024 season next Saturday against CAPP Academy on Senior Day.  Senior Day festivities will begin on the field at 11:45 with a noon kick-off time.