What We Saw: Westside 56, Mauldin 10

Jed Blackwell September 15, 2023 @ 11:21 PM

MAULDIN | The next time somebody discovers something [player_tooltip player_id='139314' first='Josh' last='Williams'] can't do on a football field might be the first time.   Williams was electric in the Rams' 56-10 win over Mauldin on Friday night. He caught 5 balls for 75 yards and a score, all in the first half, which included a 22-yard TD that he pulled in at the 4 and bulldozed three Maverick defenders into the end zone. He caught a 17-yarder that was a shoestring tackle away from 96. He played defensive back, stepping up to drill a Mauldin RB with a perfect form tackle in the second quarter, and breaking up a pass.   And, in the only instance where the game was in doubt, Williams removed it.   Just after Mauldin's Devan Ortega went 50 yards up the middle nearly untouched to tie the game at 7-7, Williams fielded the ensuing kickoff. He gathered it in, darted left toward the visitors' sideline, and that was that. One move to get past the punter and 95 yards later, Williams dashed into the end zone without a hand laid on him for a score, and the Rams were off to the races.   "I saw the gap, and I knew I had to make one man miss," Williams said. "After that I just used my speed."   Westside coach Brian Lane said it's no secret how much his senior athlete factors into the game plan.   "He is just a spectacular player, and I love him being out there," Westside coach Brian Lane said.   In the absence of [player_tooltip player_id='139296' first='Jimmar' last='Boston'], who's been absent from his position at receiver and playing mostly defense due to a hand injury, Williams has become QB [player_tooltip player_id='346189' first='Cutter' last='Woods']' go-to target.   In the end, Williams knows that other teams pick up on that as well, and he's laser-focused on making sure that knowledge doesn't matter.   "I know that they're trying to stop me a lot," he said. "But I know we have to make something happen even if they've got a game plan."   STARTING FAST   Woods turned in a good night as well, finishing 12-for-20 for 257 yards and two touchdowns. He had a blazing start, completing four of his first five balls for 104 yards and a 19-yard TD to [player_tooltip player_id='139310' first='Dee' last='Robertson'] on the Rams' second offensive drive of the game. Wood showed good mobility, good decision making, and the ability to throw on the run.   Oh, and an absolute cannon of an arm.   GRINDING IT OUT   Both teams showed some good things in the running game. [player_tooltip player_id='1157819' first='Sharode' last='Richardson'] and DeMarco Evans combined for 93 first-half yards, with Richardson scoring from six yards out and Evans adding a one-yard score.   In the second half, they simply put it out of reach. Westside scored on all three drives in the second half. On the first, Richardson accounted for four carries, 44 yards, and a 17-yard TD. Evans turned in a workhorse performance on the next drive, carrying seven times for 66 yards and a one-yard touchdown.   And the last time the Rams touched the ball, they only touched it once. After a goal line stand inside the 1, Richardson torched the Mavericks' defense for a 99-yard score, weaving all the way across the field to set up the blocks to spring him for the last 30 yards, diving into the far corner of the end zone. He finished the night with nine carries for 186 yards and three touchdowns, while Evans had 12 carries for 109 yards and two scores.   For Mauldin, Ortega was an offensive standout, rushing eight times for 71 yards in the first half, including the 50-yard score, and finishing with 18 carries for 94 yards. QB Miller Breazeale rushed for 88 yards.

MAULDIN | The next time somebody discovers something Josh Williams Josh Williams 5'11" | 175 lbs | WR Eastside | 2024 State SC can't do on a football field might be the first time.