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Injury to son not only concern for Williams, Hurricanes

Staff photo by Fred Bellet

Tiger Williams suffered a clean fracture below the elbow on his left arm during Friday night’s 33-8 loss to Lakeland Sante Fe. He was rushed to Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point with an injury which almost assuredly will end his season.

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By BART O’CONNELL

Tribune correspondent

Published: September 12, 2009

SHADY HILLS - Marty Williams has seen a hundred of them, or so he told a concerned parent. Still, it was hard to believe the Bishop McLaughlin coach wasn't a little distracted by what he saw early in Friday's game against Lakeland Santa Fe.

With spirits high on the Hurricanes sideline as they led a squad they had never beaten in school history, the Hurricanes punted to the Crimson Hawks, who tried a little razzle-dazzle return, with a misdirection hand-off which momentarily surprised the Hurricanes and would-be tackler Tiger Williams, the coach's son.

The Santa Fe returner squirted free and netted a decent gain, but behind the play, Tiger Williams was down, flailing every extremity but his left arm. A trainer immediately jogged out and waived for an ambulance – the junior's left arm was crooked and rapidly swelling like a balloon.

It was an obvious clean fracture below the elbow, the Coach said, though the bone did not break the skin. He was rushed to Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point with an injury which almost assuredly will end his season. Marty Williams assured his family that his son would be alright, and continued coaching.

The Hurricanes went on to lose the game 33-8, and Williams downplayed its affect on his focus, but as a key two-way player and the team's only place kicker, Tiger Williams will be missed.

"It was a clean shot, just came across his side," Williams said. "I've been around this game a long time and I've seen it all. He'll be OK."

It was an all-around frustrating night for the Williamses and the Hurricanes, who had an excellent game plan and made big plays, but also made big mistakes that led to the defeat.

Gio Perone scored Bishop McLaughlin's first points of the year on a 45-yard fumble return for a touchdown, set up by a big hit to force the loose ball by Evan Barhonovich after a short pass completion. Jordan Betancourt's 2-point conversion run made it 8-0 four minutes in.

The Hurricanes forced three turnovers and stifled Santa Fe's rushing game in the first quarter, but the running lanes that the defense closed early began opening up more often as the game progressed.

And by the end, Crimson Hawks running back B.J. Knauf, who had just 10 yards on his first six carries, wound up with 182 yards and three touchdowns on 20 runs.

"We missed our opportunities early, and they came back to haunt us," Williams said.

Among them were five turnovers, several drive-killing penalties, failing to score in the red zone late in the first half and failing to convert a single third down in nine attempts. That negated 101 first-half rushing yards, and 164 overall.

Bishop McLaughlin still has four weeks until their first Sunshine State Athletic Conference game, Oct. 9 against Hernando Christian, and they are slowly proving that even with few seniors and youth on the offensive and defensive lines, it can run affectively and make big plays.

"Our guys believe in the offense, believe in the defense," Williams said, "and we're very close to breaking through."

Correspondent Bart O'Connell can be reached at tampasport@gmail.com.

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