High School Football

BY BOB HERZOG

Thanks to Hempstead High School historian and friend to the media, Don Ryan, I’ve got the numerical breakdown on the amazing career of Terrell Williams, a career that is still going strong as Week 2 of the playoffs continues this week.

Williams scored four touchdowns in the Tigers’ victory over Baldwin on Saturday, giving him 22 for the 2008 season, which broke coach Antoine Moore’s record of 19 set in 1987. That was one of three school records Williams on Saturday, a performance that unfortunately was seen by only a couple of hundred people at Hempstead High because of steady rain all afternoon. That’s too bad. Hopefully there will be a bigger turnout at Hofstra this week to see Williams, because he’s worth the price of a ticket.

He not only makes plays, he makes BIG plays. Earlier this season, I saw him return an interception 101 yards for a score. On Saturday, he took a fumble 74 yards to paydirt and also broke away for a 91-yard touchdown run on a pitchout.

His 161 yards rushing on Saturday gave him 1,336 for the season, erasing Ron Brockington’s record of 1,226 set in 1991. Williams’ 30 points gave him 260 for his career, breaking Brockington’s mark of 248. In all, Williams has eight school records. The other five are: touchdowns in a career; touchdowns in a game; all-purpose yards in a game; all-purpose yards in a season, and all-purpose yards in a career.

There may even be one more record: Ryan wasn’t sure if the 30 points Williams scored on Saturday was also the best in school history.

And speaking of points, I saw Long Island’s highest scoring team, Babylon, for the first time on Friday night and was quite impressed. Not only do the Panthers have talent, but they also have balance and depth, the latter a rare commodity in Division IV.

In routing Mercy Friday night, Babylon had 40 points and 336 yards of total offense – in the first half! Coach Rick Punzone pulled all of his starting skill players at halftime, something he has done on several occasions this season with big leads. Otherwise the numbers would be even more impressive. As it is, the Panthers average 44 points a game.