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Williamsport loses to Shikellamy in a thrilling game 48-44

By GARRETT CARR 5 min read

Just 30 seconds prior to taking a lead with less than two minutes to go, Williamsport trailed Shikellamy by 11 and looked to be headed for a hard-fought defeat in a week chock full of adversity for first-year coach Kevin Brown and his team. But a touchdown that seemingly came out of nothing on a beautiful pass from Zion Hughes to Trey Damschroder and a few run stops had set Williamsport up with a chance to get the ball back with a fourth-and-2 opportunity for Shikellamy.

What seemed to be a game-winning miracle happened. Dahvahji Dymeck came in untouched on a blitz, knocked the ball out of ballcarrier Thomas Pollock's hands up into the air and Eli Weaver caught in stride, taking it 55 yards for a go-ahead touchdown that sent the Millionaire crowd into a frenzy as Williamsport took a three-point lead with 1:48 remaining. 

But what would've been an emotional win slipped through Williamsport's fingers.

Pollock broke Millionaire hearts, returning the ensuing kickoff to just past midfield and then scoring on a seven-yard run a few plays later, as Shikellamy beat Williamsport, 48-44, on Friday at Millionaire Stadium. 

"I'm extremely proud. That's exactly what I told him when the game was over. Losing never feels good, especially when you pour your heart into something. But we have a lot to build on if we're going to get that type of effort each week," Brown said. "Do we have to clean up some stuff? Of course, but the effort has to be there first before anything gets cleaned up, and it was."

Williamsport received a major setback earlier this week when star quarterback Tevin Williams was hospitalized with kidney inflammation, according to the Williamsport Football Booster Club. In stepped senior Zion Hughes at quarterback, and the starting quarterback from two years ago played a fantastic football game, repeatedly making plays that kept the Millionaires in the game.

Hughes totaled 295 total yards and had three total touchdowns in his first action at quarterback in nearly two years after missing last season with a knee injury. 

"That's a reason why he's one of our captains. On short notice, he was told he was going to play quarterback in an offense that was new to him as far as quarterbacking, and he played great,” Brown said. “I couldn't be more proud of him. Just a great kid, great leader, great player, great athlete, and I'm glad he's on my team.” 

There was plenty to be proud of from a Millionaire perspective on Friday, especially factoring in the adversity the team was facing. Williamsport punched back every time Shikellamy threw a blow themselves, starting with an 85-yard kickoff return touchdown by Za'Mir Hopkins one play after Shikellamy blocked a punt in the end zone to start the scoring in the first quarter. And when they scored nine points in the final two minutes of the first half -- six on a Hughes touchdown run and three on a Braydon Ungard field goal after Jaylin Williams intercepted a Brave pass and returned it deep into Shikellamy territory Williamsport took a two point lead into halftime. They extended that lead to three heading to the fourth quarter when Trey Damschroder scored on a reverse with 1:27 remaining in the third quarter. 

The fourth quarter was one that those in attendance will never forget and produced a script that Hollywood would dismiss as too unrealistic. Shikellamy scored on consecutive drives to go up 41-30, the second of which came with 3:21 remaining when the Millionaires let Maddox Hoover get behind them on a third-and-16 play. 

Williamsport rallied with force. Hughes converted on fourth-and-10, finding Delantae Haberstroh-Stotts along the sideline and then hooking up with Damschroder on a terrific throw and catch at the front pylon of the end zone to get the Millionaires within 41-36.
Williamsport elected to onside kick with all three timeouts and Brown nearly looked like a genius as the Millionaires appeared to have recovered the kick. However, the officials ruled that Williamsport had touched the ball just one foot too early before it reached the mandatory ten yards, giving the ball to Shikellamy. Replays showed the officials made the correct call on the play. 

It appeared to have worked out for the best when Weaver took the aforementioned fumble for the go-ahead touchdown. And even after Shikellamy scored with less than a minute to go, the Millionaires nearly won it. A deep pass to a wide open Millionaire receiver hit the player in stride for what looked like it was going to be one improbable final twist to finish off an improbable final few minutes of football, only to fall incomplete.

A few plays later, a last-gasp Hail Mary was knocked down at the goal line, extinguishing the last bit of hope as time expired. 

Williamsport, who suffered its first loss of the year, will look to rebound next Friday against Selinsgrove. It will serve as homecoming for the Millionaires and the grand-opening of Millionaire Stadium's eight-figure upgrades. 

"We will focus on the positives. Obviously, we've got to talk about what our problems were, but we just have to show them that it was there for the taking. We just didn't close the deal, and maybe that's something we have to learn,” Brown said. “Sometimes you have to learn how to win those games, especially if you've never been in that situation. That can be pressure for some people. But again, it's like a total learning experience. I think we're going to be better for it as long as we stay with our high pride.”

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