Williams' Return for West Spoiled by Seneca

Rodney Williams had spent over a month waiting.

The do-it-all quarterback for the Cherry Hill High School West football team was sidelined for the first three games of the season due to a hamstring injury, and was champing at the bit to get back in action.

He was finally able to do so Friday night, and immediately started making up for lost time. On the Lions first possession Williams showed his versatility, working as a quarterback, running back and receiver, helping Cherry Hill march down the field. He capped the drive off with a perfectly-thrown 12-yard touchdown pass to Jimmy Verzicko.

For one drive, everything clicked as Williams envisioned it would.

Unfortunately for Williams and the rest of the Lions, the rest of the game did not go nearly as well.

Seneca picked off Williams three times and rode a strong rushing attack to a 29-6 win over Cherry Hill West, Friday night.

The loss dropped the Lions to 1-4.

“I don’t think they were ready for the wide-receiver set,” Williams said of the early success. “I haven’t been playing, so they didn’t have much film on me.

"But overall, I didn’t play a good game. I don’t like when players say it, but I think they can put this one on me. I threw three picks and a safety, that’s four turnovers. They needed somebody to make big plays for them and I didn’t do it tonight, but it will happen.”

Williams was hardly the lone reason for the team’s struggles. In addition to the turnovers, the Lions committed six penalties and the defense struggled to make stops on critical third downs.

Cherry Hill West led 6-0 late in the first quarter when the team was pinned at its own five-yard line after a Seneca punt. Williams dropped back looking to pass, but was sacked in the end zone for a safety. Seneca then took their ensuing drive 54-yards for a touchdown and a 9-6 lead.

The Lions took their next possession inside the Seneca 35, but turned the ball over on downs. Backed by consecutive runs of 21 and 16 yards by Alec Flexon and a 15-yard horse-collar penalty, Seneca marched 72 yards in just 1:19 to increase the lead to 15-6.

Things got no better for Cherry Hill in the second half, as two more turnovers ended any chance of a comeback.

The end result was not what Williams had envisioned just a few hours earlier.

“I think this was one of the most excited times in my life,” Williams said. “All I wanted to do was come out here on the field and show everybody that I could be a D-I prospect while I do my thing in the classroom. It just didn’t happen tonight.”

Despite the bumps in the road, Williams offered the Lions glimpses of how special he can be. He rushed for 68 yards out of the shotgun, completed 5-of-10 passes and made three receptions. The junior knows there is room for improvement in his game, as well as his teammates. He plans on helping the Lions get their season back on track by leading by example.

“(I’m the) hardest worker, that’s number one,” Williams said. “I have to be a leader.

“I’m not too loud and don’t talk too much, but I can get into them about working hard. Without that we won’t be successful, but we will work hard and will be (successful) by the end of the year.”