By: Jonathan Szczepaniak | C&G Newspapers | Published November 30, 2024
DETROIT -- Orchard Lake St Mary’s senior running back Bryson Williams has shown why he is a high school football player of the year candidate many times this season.
Unfortunately when you have a player at the caliber of Williams, a Michigan State University commit, sometimes another star-studded talent may be overshadowed in certain games.
When it mattered most in the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 2 state finals Nov. 29 at Ford Field, OLSM senior running back Darrin Jones Jr. felt he should reintroduce himself.
Jones, who holds multiple Division 2 college offers, was the Eaglets’ bell cow Friday night as he exploded with 21 rushes for 181 yards rushing and two touchdowns as OLSM handled Byron Center 35-19.
It was a matchup of size and physicality, especially in the trenches, which both favor OLSM. As the game progressed, it was evident the Eaglets were testing the Bulldogs’ stamina on the defensive side.
“I definitely felt like the other team (Byron Center) was wearing down,” Jones said. “I feel like we were definitely wearing them out. We do a lot of conditioning and a lot of stuff to prepare for games like plate pushes and things like that to prepare us for fourth quarter-long games. We were definitely prepared.”
Jones got the Eaglets on the board late in the first quarter with a 6-yard score to match Byron Center's opening drive touchdown.
Then came Williams, who tacked on two touchdowns of his own to give OLSM a 21-13 lead early in the third quarter.
“This (Bryson Williams) is my ride or die right here,” Jones said. “We do a lot of things together. I always allow him to make plays and he allows me to make plays.”
The OLSM running back room as a whole deserves its flowers as Jones, Williams, senior Richard Goike, and sophomore Lorenzo Barber all contributed to OLSM’s 397 yards on the ground.
Williams’ second touchdown of the day, a 3-yard run, was set up courtesy of a strip sack by junior defensive lineman Ryan Harrington and 12-yard recovery by lineman junior Kyrie Williams, giving OLSM field possession at the Byron Center 3-yard line.
“They were in spread and I thought I could beat their tackle with speed,” Harrington said. “I just came flying off the edge and punched the ball right when I got there.”
Williams added 13 rushes for 109 yards and two touchdowns while Goike tallied 71 yards in the win.
The Eaglets would extend their lead to two scores late in the third quarter as senior quarterback Axel Newell, who’s been as steady as they come all season under center, delivered a beautiful pass down the middle of the field to a wide open Angelo Chapman for a 33-yard touchdown connection.
“I thought he (Newell) managed the offense and made plays when it presented itself,” OLSM head coach Jermaine Gonzales said. “I thought he had a great game. He kept everybody even-keeled. He was a great leader tonight.”
Byron Center would answer on the back of senior quarterback Landon Tungate, who broke a 32-yard run and cashed in on a 10-yard rushing touchdown. The Bulldogs elected to go for the two-point conversion but came up short on a pass swarmed by OLSM defenders at the 3-yard line.
Holding onto a 28-19 lead in the fourth, it was only right Jones put the final stamp on a storybook season for the Eaglets, punching in a 4-yard touchdown to bring the state title home.
Byron Center sophomore Cameron Payne led the way offensively with eight rushes for 122 yards and a score while his older brother, senior Kellen Payne, added a touchdown as well.
The Eaglets have now won nine state championships and their first since 2016 when OLSM won three-consecutive titles.
“This is where Orchard Lake belongs,” Gonzales said. “We’re used to playing after Thanksgiving. We wanted to bring that tradition and pride back to the school and the football program. I told them from day one that this is a state championship team, and they bought into it and believed in it.”