Williamsburg Academy trying to win back-to-back state titles for first time in program history

Kingstree – The goal this season for the Williamsburg Academy football team was to win a state title for the second straight year. The program has never won state in back-to-back seasons.

The Stallions claimed the SCISA Class A title last season. This year they are playing in AA after reclassification and got off to a good start in the state playoffs.

After going 8-1 during the regular season and winning the Region 2 title, Williamsburg beat Cross Schools 42-7 in the first round on November 6.

“We played really well,” said Stallions head coach Will Furse. “We ended the last drive of the first half with an interception but other than that we had a pretty good half. We led 36-0 at halftime and scored on the the first drive of the second half. It was a running clock from there.”

If Williamsburg is to play in its sixth straight state championship game and keep hope alive for two in a row, it will be taking a step up from 4-7 Cross in the semifinal game. The Stallions will be playing host to 8-2 Calhoun Academy on November 13.

“We're playing well, but we have a really big challenge coming up,” Furse said of the Cavaliers, who beat Greenwood Christian School 78-46 in their first-round game after topping Orangeburg Prep 69-12 in their regular-season finale. “We need to have good practices on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and be ready to go on Friday.

“They put up a bunch of points, They’re opportunistic on both defense and special teams. Getting stops is going to be a key for us. It’s going to be a very tough game, but I’m looking forward to it.”

Williamsburg has shown an ability to put up points as well, just maybe not to the extent of Calhoun. The Stallions are averaging 37 points a game and have become a more balanced offensive unit as the season has progressed.

Williamsburg’s bread and better is the running game. It was averaging 219 rushing yards a game entering the playoffs. Passing-wise, it was at 134 yards with that number jumping quite a bit after sophomore quarterback Caden Morris’ performance in a 56-7 win over Pee Dee Academy in the regular-season finale that gave it the region title.

Morris hit on 8 of 10 passes for 245 yards and four touchdowns. The scoring passes went for 72, 63, 50 and four yards. Morris had passed for 1,202 yards and 18 TDs while completing 61 of 90 passes.

While Furse has been pleased with Morris’ play behind center, he thinks the improvement of the receiving corps may be an even bigger factor in the passing upgrade.

“I think the area we definitely improved the most at was wide receiver,” he said. “Our receivers are catching the balls they should catch, and that has opened up things for the rest of the offense. We’re trying to be balanced, and we’re slowly getting there.”

Senior tight end Charlie Caulder is the top pass catcher with 22 receptions for 530 yards and eight touchdowns. Junior Jordan Green was next with 13 catches for 209 yards and one score. Senior Al Casselman is a big play waiting to happen. He only had seven grabs, but they accounted for 224 yards – a 32.0 per-catch average – and four TDs.

Senior running back Grant Small is nowhere close to the 2,000-yard season he had a year ago, but he’s still an integral part of the offense. He had 727 yards and 11 touchdown on 106 carries to go with three 100-yard games.

Junior Eli Brown wasn’t far behind him with 690 yards and a team high 13 touchdowns on 80 carries. Junior Ryder Langdon had 222 yards and two scores.

Opening holes and protecting Morris is a veteran offensive line. They are senior Michael Ard at right guard, senior Marlin Morris at right tackle, senior Mason Cribb at left tackle, senior Sammy Tomlinson at left guard and junior Henderson Livingston at center.

Williamsburg is healthy heading into the Calhoun contest with the exception of senior defensive back Hall Dukes. he injured a knee during a practice prior to the Pee Dee contest and is lost for the rest of the season. The same fate befell Dukes last season when he suffered a knee injury in the final regular-season game and didn’t get to play in the playoffs.

Dukes had a team high three interceptions to go with five pass breakups, which also leads the team.

The Stallions have allowed only 102 points. Ard leads the defense in tackles with 79 from his position. Junior Wyatt Williams had 67 stops. Caulder led in tackles for loss with eight, while Ard had seven, Williams six and junior defensive back Gamble Wilson 5 ½.

Dukes led in interceptions with three, but Green, Caulder and junior defensive back Lane Patrick had two apiece.

Furse knows his defense will have to step up against Calhoun.

“We’re going to have to do the things that good defenses do,” he said. “We’re going to have to keep our eyes in the right places, have good leverage, be physical. . Right places, good leverage, be physical. If we do that, we'll give ourselves a chance to win. If we don't do those things, it will probably be a long night.

Our defense has done a good job and hopefully it will continue to do that.”