Hornets Collar Bulldogs To Secure
PYFA Playoff Berth With 26 - 6 Victory
Williamsburg scored with 10-seconds remaining in the 1st half to go up 19 - 0 then played even the rest of the way with the visiting York-Seaford Bulldogs in Saturday's 26 - 6 win.
Monii Burden (10 carries / 91-yds) got Williamsburg on the board on the game's 1st play from scrimmage as he quickly burst through a big hole created by blockers Tadic Mielczarek and Clayton Vinson and rolled 37-yds for a TD to give the Hornets a 6 - 0 lead.
Williamsburg defense then kept the Bulldogs on a short leash throughout the 1st half. Josh Herlsow registered 4-tackles from his linebacker spot, while Josh Farley recorded 2-stops and Bryant Walker one.
Carter Weissenfluh fielded the York-Seaford punt, and had a nice 12-yd return setting up the Hornets next drive that started from the Williamsburg 22-yd line. And what a drive it was.
The Hornets ran 17-plays, and to their credit, overcame two holding penalties, converted three 4th down situations, and had a touchdown called back, amazingly, all on a single drive.
Michael Burt (4-carries / 19-yds), Hunter Brittain (5-carries / 17-yds) and Burden helped move the ball initially behind blockers Cooper Minor, Hunter Pegram and Herslow.
On 4th and 10, Cesar Ward (8-carries / 59-yds) was called into action, and he followed Zach Pope's block on a 25-yd jaunt that moved the Hornets to the Bulldogs' 5-yd line. Brittain then went in untouched for a TD, but the score was called back on a penalty. 2-plays later, Burden cut off of Kade Campbell's block, then used a nifty stiff-arm move and went in for his 2nd score of the game, and a Hornets 12 - 0 lead to culminate the 17-play cross-country journey.
Ward, Weissenfluh & Womeldorf ... not attorneys at law ... then combined on the next kick-off to give the Hornets the ball right back as Ward and Weissenfluh converged precisely on the ball kicked strategically by Josh Womeldorf and the Hornets were back in action.
On this drive, yet another "holding penalty" nullified a TD run and the Hornets turned the ball over to the Bulldogs with 90-seconds to go in the half.
Williamsburg's defense ratcheted up the pressure and on 4th down the Bulldogs tried to pass. Cornerback Garrett Turner dropped into coverage forcing the York-Seaford QB to hold the ball a bit too long in the pocket where he was hammered from behind by Hornet Defender Brittain. The loose ball bounded to the Bulldogs' 16-yd line where it was recovered by Pope with 25-seconds to go before halftime.
Ward ran wide right for a 7-yd pick up on 1st down. A quick time-out and the Hornets came out of the huddle on a roll as Ward phased toward the sideline then pulled up and hit Michael Burt with a beautifully thrown pass, that was equally as well caught by Burt, a yard inbounds, and a yard across the goal line, to give Williamsburg a 19 - 0 lead at the half.
Tyler Neville kicked off and recovered the muffed kick to give the Hornets the ball back to start the 2nd half. Williamsburg wasted no time as TJ Davis (4-carries / 14-yds) had a nice run behind Tori Roggenbuch's block for 7-yds.
Then Chase Dively caught the Bulldogs defense overpursuing, took a reverse hand off then followed the block of Trent Neville, as he raced 32-yds for the 1st TD of his career. Ryan Pastirik added the PAT to put Williamsburg on top 26 - 0 early in the 3rd quarter.
Defenders Mickey Smith (3-tackles) and Gunner Mueller (3-tackles) then shut down the Bulldogs again. But after a short Williamsburg series were right back on the field. Zach Stallings and Jonathon Tarpley each had nice tackles, but York-Seaford got on the scoreboard. Ben Tyler helped plug the middle to stuff the Bulldog's PAT keeping the score 26 - 6.
Nick Doyle provided excitement with a nice 10-yd Kick-Off return to start the next Hornet series, and later added a 10-yd burst up the gut, behind the block of Joey Cianciotti to spark Williamsburg. Then, Hunter Pegram was the 3rd unfortunate Hornet runner to have a TD called back in the game, after he raced 40-yds for a score that eventually came back.
With the victory, Williamsburg (8 - 1) locked up the 3rd Seed in the PYFA playoffs and will face the loser of next week's battle of 9 - 0 teams (Gloucester-Red @ Yorktown) in the first round of the playoffs.