Williamsville South’s 7-game win streak is snapped in the playoffs
WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. — The Williamsville South varsity football team had a season filled with its share of ups and downs. They started the season off with two straight losses but were able to overcome the slow start and reach the playoffs.
The Williamsville South Billies started off their season on Sept. 3 with a 34-7 away loss to the Frontier Falcons. Williamsville South continued to struggle in their second game on Sept. 10, a home game against the Jamestown Red Raiders. This game was closer but still resulted in a 42-37 loss.
Williamsville South got to winning ways when they faced the Amherst Tigers in a home game on Sept. 17. The Billies won the game 38-16, which improved their overall record to 1-2. The team continued their winning ways on Sept. 23 by defeating the defending Section VI Class A champion, the South Park Sparks, 45-22.
Williamsville South’s defense led the way with five interceptions and two returned for touchdowns. Jeremy Thompson had nine tackles and two interceptions. Timothy Haperman had seven tackles and also had two interceptions. The offense was led by wide receivers Christian Dewer and Brett Johnson. Dewer had 141 total yards and two touchdowns, while Johnson had five catches, 92 yards and one touchdown.
This win made Williamsville South’s record improve to 2-2 for the season. The win also helped Williamsville South head coach Kraig Kurzanski earn the Buffalo region Coach of the Week honors.
Williamsville South extended their winning streak to three after a 28-22 home win against the Hamburg Bulldogs. This improved their overall record to 3-2 for the season. The Billies defeated the West Seneca West Indians 30-15 in an away game, then they faced the Lewiston-Porter Lancers in a 48-14 home win on Oct. 15. Williamsville South’s last regular season game was an away game against the Williamsville East Flames on Oct 22 where they won 50-15.
The squad finished the season with an overall record of 6-2. After starting the season with two losses, Williamsville South won six games in a row and was now in the playoffs. They would face the Kenmore West Blue Devils on Oct. 30 in the quarterfinals.
Caleb Kruzicki had 13 tackles and a touchdown in the quarterfinal matchup.
“He plays 100% all the time,” Coach Kurzanski said about Kruzicki. “He’s really a unique kid.”
In addition to being a lineman for football, Kruzicki is also a 100-meter sprinter for the track team and scored on a short run in the game against Kenmore West.
“That touchdown was awesome,” Kruzicki said. “I knew I could beat them with my speed.”
Dewer and Nathaniel Zachary had over 150 combined rushing yards, with a team total of 236 rushing yards. With this win, the Williamsville South Billies were now 7-2 with a seven-game winning streak.
They were set to face the top team in Section 6A, the Jamestown Red Raiders on Nov. 5 in the semifinals. Williamsville South would go on to lose the game 49-14, which would end their season with a final overall record of 7-3.
The Billies finished the season ranked 4th in Section 6A and ranked 8th overall in Section 6. They finished the season 17th overall in New York Division A. They also finished the season ranked 90th in New York state.
Williamsville South had a few players named to the All-Western New York first team offense and defense. Williamsville South’s kicker Max Voyer was named to the team after a season where he made all five field goal attempts and 29 of 30 extra points.
Defensive lineman Matt Murphy was named to the team after he recorded 66 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. As an offensive lineman, Murphy did not allow a sack and helped block for the team to average seven yards per carry.
Dewer was a two-way starter and was named the Class A South Offensive Player of the Year. On defense, he had 42 tackles,14 passes defended and one fumble recovery. On offense, he rushed for 1,322 yards, 14 touchdowns and one touchdown reception.
Wide receiver Brett Johnson and linebacker Brad Evelt were also named to the first team, Johnson for offense and Evelt for defense.
Coach Kurzanski was named All-Bee Football Coach of the Year. He was the co-winner, sharing the award with Iroquois head coach Rob Pitzonka. Coach Kurzanski also earned the head coaching position at Canisius High School.
“I went to school there, I understand what the school means,” Kurzanski, a South Buffalo native and an alumnus of Canisius, said. “I have a fondness for Canisius. It’s really a cool place for me to go back to.”
Kurzanski finished his Williamsville South coaching career with an overall record of 88-49 over his 15 seasons there. He also won five league titles and won Coach of the Year seven times.
Kurzanski also coached 67 players that went on to play college football. He was planning on retiring after this past season but decided to keep coaching and only retire from teaching.
Coach Kurzanski may be gone from Williamsville South, but the football team will look to keep improving like they have for the past few seasons. In 2018, the team had an overall record of 3-6. In 2019, the team had an overall record of 6-3. In 2020, the team had an overall record of 5-1. In 2021, the team just finished with a 7-3 overall record. Only time will tell what the Williamsville South football team can do in 2022.
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