Thursday, October 29, 2009
Williams racking up big numbers
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Hidden Valley running back David Williams stands 5 feet, 10 inches tall but he is already in some tall company.
Eight games into the 2009 season, Williams quickly is climbing Timesland's single-season rushing charts with 2,071 yards.
If Williams can maintain his current pace -- 258.9 yards per game -- over the Titans' final two regular-season games and at least one playoff game he would break the Timesland single-season record of 2,810 yards set in 1997 by William Fleming's Lee Suggs.
Other than a 65-yard effort in a blowout loss to Brookville, Williams' numbers look like inflated professional bowling scores. He's been in the 200s five times and has been over 300 twice, capped by last week's season-high 367 yards against Pulaski County.
If the Hidden Valley senior rushes for 342 yards in the final two regular-season games against Salem and Cave Spring, he would break the Timesland single-season record of 2,412 yards set last year by Patrick County's John Harris.
The VHSL single-season rushing record is 3,319 yards, set in 1994 by Powell Valley's Thomas Jones, who now stars for the New York Jets. The VHSL record for a 10-game regular season is 2,607 yards, set 2005 by Warren County's H.B. Banjoman.
Let's credit Hidden Valley's offensive line -- center Cole Sampson, guards Dustin Julian and Will Claytor, tackles Tyler Wright and Eli Dickerson, and tight ends Jason Powers and Kolton Lescure.
Let's also credit an offensive scheme that has led to a whopping 239 carries with 115 coming in the last three weeks.
There must be more to it. How is Williams getting it done?
"The first thing is he's always falling forward," Christiansburg coach Tim Cromer said. "He's downhill all the time. He doesn't hesitate. The next thing is, we played them on a rainy night, and he didn't come close to putting it on the ground.
"The third thing is he runs as hard on the 41st and 42nd carry as he does on the first or second carry."
William Byrd coach Jeff Highfill likes what is inside Williams, who placed third in the VHSL Group AA wrestling tournament at 140 pounds.
"He's a warrior," Highfill said. "We didn't have any one person who could get him down. He's certainly got some physical tools, but the heart and the head are what make him so good."
North Cross girls won't field team
North Cross will not have a varsity girls basketball program in 2009-10.
Head coach Jennie Carter said only six players were interested in suiting up for the varsity team this season, so the school has decided to scrap the program until next year.
The Raiders will compete at the middle school and junior varsity levels.
"There really just wasn't enough interest," said Carter, who was to begin her third year as North Cross' coach. "Some of the girls are involved with soccer in the winter. I had heard some talk at the beginning of the year, but I thought by the time we were ready to start we'd be able to pull it off."
North Cross' girls program has been plagued by low numbers. Former coach Bri Welte had just eight players in her final season in 2006-07, but Carter thought she had enough players in the fold after the Raiders finished 10-7 last year.
Carter said she will work on building the numbers back up in hopes of fielding a varsity team next winter.
"I'm just going to use this year to get them ready," Carter said. "Our JV will be seventh-, eighth- and ninth-graders and a couple of juniors. There are a coupl e of girls who aren't playing this year for certain reasons. That might not be permanent."
Former Glenvar standout mourned
Former Glenvar defensive end and running back Curtis Hackett, who was killed in a motorcycle crash Saturday night on West Main Street in Salem, was a standout on Highlanders teams that combined for an 18-3 record in 2005-06.
Hackett, 21, died after striking a utility pole, police said.
North Cross coach Lee Johnson was Hackett's head coach at Glenvar.
"Curtis was an integral part of those '05 and '06 teams," Johnson said. "He was a good kid. He'd goof off in class sometimes, but we always got him to do what we wanted him to on the football field. He was well-liked."
Hackett was the younger brother of Anthony Hackett, a former star at Glenvar who is now an assistant coach at Patrick Henry.
A memorial service for Curtis Hackett will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday in the chapel of John M. Oakey & Son in Salem.
No. 9 Group AAA team loses appeal on forfeits
One of the state's top Group AAA football teams -- Ocean Lakes of Virginia Beach -- lost its appeal Wednesday with the VHSL and must forfeit six victories because of an ineligible player.
Ocean Lakes is ranked No. 9 in the latest Associated Press state poll despite a 2-6 record.
