By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
The Williams Bulldogs made enough big plays, often clustered together, to come away with the ultimate prize in Friday night’s matchup with Eastern Alamance.
With a 39-21 victory, the Bulldogs won in Mebane for the first time since a 2011 state-playoff game.
“I’m glad we handled our business like we’re supposed to,” Williams receiver/cornerback Andrews Cruz said.
The Bulldogs (6-1 overall, 3-0 Central 3-A Conference) created enough havoc to score in a variety of ways, including on Cruz’s interception return.
Quarterback Dan Mahan threw for three touchdowns on 26-for-32 passing for 216 yards to go with a rushing TD, and Amarion Richmond rambled for 97 yards on the ground and racked up 59 receiving yards.
The Bulldogs stayed in first place in the league, with second-place Western Alamance visiting Burlington Memorial Stadium for the next game. Eastern (0-6, 0-2) lost for the second time in five nights.
“Just determination,” Willams linebacker Jaxon Goforth said. “Just doing our jobs and keep doing our jobs. We’ve been holding up strong.”
Eastern couldn’t keep up despite solid stretches. The Eagles, who finished with a season-high point total after failing to score vs. Western Alamance, went with Braxton Ballard for his first varsity start at quarterback, switching from Zack Merchel.
“We liked what we saw in Braxton,” Mitchener said. “We made the tough decision to start him.”
Running back Tyrek Samuel gained 78 yards on 16 carries.
On Williams’ first possession following Eastern’s goal-line stand, Mahan’s 2-yard connection with Kyrian Fuller opened the scoring early in the second quarter.
Then the Bulldogs drove 73 yards, with Richmond taking Mahan’s third-down screen pass for a 21-yard touchdown play with 48 seconds left in the half.
On the next snap, Leontae Turner’s interception on a ball that bounced off another player gave the Bulldogs the ball back.
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One play later, it was 19-0 after William Overby leaped into the end zone to complete a 10-yard touchdown play pass.
The Bulldogs scored 12 points in 21 seconds.
“They add up,” Mitchener said of compounding miscues.
Eastern began the second with a 61-yard touchdown drive, with Samuel accounting for most of the yards and a 7-yard TD run, while Ballard had two passes that picked up first downs. Then a defensive stop gave the Eagles more life.
“We started to see the spark we were talking about in the second half,” Mitchener said.
That fizzled with Cruz, who plays intermittently on defense, stepping in and picking off Ballard along the sideline, going 21 yards untouched to the end zone.
“I just broke on it and baited him,” Cruz said. “It felt amazing.”
The Bulldogs had more quick-strike action early in the fourth quarter with 14 points in barely more than a two-minute span. Mahan’s 1-yard run was followed by an Eastern special teams blunder when the ball on the ensuing kickoff wasn’t fielded, with Williams pouncing on it. Kris Rogers converted with a 1-yard TD run.
The Eagles scored the final two touchdowns on Coty Chambliss’ 11-yard run and Jayden Russo’s 2-yard run.
Eastern’s Daylin Ford blocked two extra-point kicks.
The Eagles’ six opponents this year have a combined record of 35-2, so it’s a matter of perspective.
“We were able to get some experience and we were able to compete,” Mitchener said.
Southern Alamance 23, Roxboro Person 12: At Mt. Hermon, Evan Gerringer, Drake Davis, and Justin Donley ran for touchdowns as the Patriots won the Central 3-A Conference home game while attempting only one pass – and that was incomplete.
Donley rushed for 149 yards on 23 carries as the Patriots (4-3, 2-1) posted their second straight victory.
Roxboro Person’s Daejon Hodge scored on an 18-yard run to close the gap to 20-12. The Patriots followed with a 35-yard drive that resulted in Tristan Lyle’s 40-yard field goal with 2:24 left.
Southern scored first on Gerringer’s 20-yard run in the first quarter before the Rockets (4-2, 1-1) got a 39-yard touchdown pass from Willie Lunsford to Victor Rodriguez. The Patriots led 7-6 at halftime.
Davis scored on a 9-yard third-quarter run, and Donley scored from 7 yards out in the fourth quarter.
Southeast Alamance 56, Jordan-Matthews 0: At Haw River, three of Landon Dodson’s six passes resulted in touchdowns as the Stallions rolled in another Mid-Carolina Conference game as they opened a three-game homestand.
The Stallions (6-0, 4-0) notched their second shutout of the season. Jordan-Matthews is 2-5, 1-2.
