Sports
Walter M. Williams Wrestling:
2024-25 Season Preview and Introduction to Our Wrestlers
by Justice Burnette
December 6, 2024
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As the upcoming wrestling season approaches, our Bulldog wrestlers are adjusting to their new coach, John McMahan, while preparing to dominate the mat in their first match against Orange High School on Wednesday, December 4th.
“I think we will do really well with Coach McMahan as our coach this year,” Junior Yenica Arizaga Suquilanda, shares. This will be Yenica’s second season wrestling and she is in the girl's 185 weight class.
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The match that Yenica looks forward to the most is the match against Person High School (Jan. 22nd - Home). “I’m looking forward to wrestling the girl from there again, but taking home the win this time, both independently and as a team.”
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When asked how she feels about the new coach, here’s what she had to say. “Something that I like that is done differently this year is how we have gone live (wrestling a full 2-6 minutes with a partner during practice) for long periods of time with multiple people. Sometimes we even go non-stop only as a part of our cardio because it's helpful to build up our stamina and builds the endurance needed for a full six-minute match on the mats.”
“I’m excited to wrestle Western Alamance (Dec. 18th - Home) because they have always been a big rival of ours, and a lot of that translates over from football,” shares Sawyer Marshall.
Sawyer is a Senior and this will be his 6th season wrestling. He is in the boy's 175 weight class and also holds a captaincy position on the team.
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“It takes a lot of effort to make a good team in any sport and it just so happens that this is the third head coach I've been with. Some things that are different are that he comes from experience and brings a lot more structure to the team but also gives us time to work on developing ourselves, which is key for winning on the individual side of the sport.”
“I think coach is great!” Laura Blanchard, a sophomore, shares. This will be Laura’s second season wrestling, and she’s in the girl’s 120 weight class.
When asked what match she’s the most excited for, she also said Western Alamance (Dec. 18th - Home). “They’re our rival, so obviously I’m excited to wrestle them."
In a continuing conversation about the new coach, here’s what Laura had to say: “I think he will do great with our team this year! So far he’s been helping me a lot along with everyone else on the team. I really like his way of teaching techniques and how patient he is when someone is struggling to learn a move.”
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Abdiel Gutierrez Moreno is another one of our Bulldog’s wrestling captains. He is a senior, and this will be his fourth season wrestling. Abdiel is in the boy’s 120 weight class.
In much agreement with some of his teammates, Abdiel is the most excited for the match against Western Alamance due to the rivalry between Western and Williams. If you want to support your Bulldogs in one of their biggest matches, show up to Williams High School on December 18th and show your dawg wrestlers some love!
Abdiel was presented with the same question as his fellow teammates on how he feels about the new coach. “I think last year coach Cordell worked us harder and was more social with us, which definitely would bring my ego and work ethic out more at practice. I would feel more comfortable going out and wrestling last year.” It is still early in the season however, and new team structures can take some time to find their groove.
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​​So, who exactly is the new head coach at Williams? You might know him as Mr. McMahan, an Earth Science and Physical Science teacher. This is McMahan’s first year at Walter M. Williams, but it’s his fourth season being a wrestling coach.
“We have a very young team this season. My goal is to have our team get better each and every day.” Coach McMahan isn’t the only new member of the team this year. There are many freshman and first-year wrestlers on the team, hence McMahan describing the team as “young."
John McMahan was asked the same question as his wrestlers about which match he is the most excited for and why. “The match I am the most excited about is the next one on the schedule. This week, I’m excited for Orange County (Dec.4th - Home). Next week I will be most excited for Eastern Alamance (Dec. 11th - Away).”
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Turning tables, he was asked which match he thinks will be the most difficult, to which he responded with Southern Alamance (Dec. 14th - Away). “I think anytime you have to travel to Southern it’s tough. They have a great fan base, team, and a great staff of passionate coaches.”
Coach McMahan’s piece of advice to any new or current wrestlers is this: “Embrace the journey, There are going to be some good times and some tough times. Just understand that they are both necessary for getting better.”
With the Walter M. Williams Bulldogs getting ready for their first match at Williams on December 4th, we hope that you can show up and show out. Let’s show our dawgs some love this season! Go Dawgs!
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(Walter M. Williams 2023-2024 Wrestling Team)
Heartbreak On The Field
By Kevin Colmenares Lopez and Juan Garcia Reyes
December 5, 2024
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After a long 90-minute game on November 13th, 2024, the Walter M. Williams High School Boys Varsity Soccer Team suffered a second round playoff exit after a 4-0 loss to First Flight High School. Varsity Center Back Jack Dooley shares his thoughts after the game and how he felt: “It was a very sad game, as I thought that game was very winnable, but we unfortunately came up short." When asked what his mentality will be going into next season, he said that “me and the team are hungry after knowing the feeling of getting beat, and we know how good we are and what we're capable of, and we are more determined to win next year.”
Imagine playing your last high school soccer season determined to win, but unfortunately you get a terrible injury causing you to be out for the rest of the season. Unfortunately, that's what happened to Senior Chris Alfaro during his game versus Northwood High School. When asked how he felt after the injury, Chris said, “Obviously it was very sad knowing I would be out for the rest of the season and it isn’t how I expected my last season to turn out.”
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The team was devastated and sad. “We lost a game we should have won, but we learn from our mistakes and we come back stronger next season,” said Andy Aguilera, an 11th grader from the Williams Varsity soccer team. When asked how this impacted how he felt about next year's soccer season, he replied with: “This was a good awakening and made me and all of us as a team stronger, and we will continue to work hard and come back stronger next year." We look forward to showing up and cheering on our Bulldogs Soccer team in 2025!
The Dawg House
By Bryson Melvin
December 9, 2024
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The 2024 football season for the Bulldogs of Walter M. Williams was one to remember. The Bulldogs finished with an overall record of 10-2. They also maintained a 6-0 record in the 3A central conference, making them first in the conference. From the top of the stands down to the student section, the stadium was filled with school spirit, all in celebration of our classmates, friends, and family on the Williams team.
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Game Time
Although the season did not begin in our favor, losing to Northwest Guilford 33-16, the Bulldogs bit their way through their schedule and did not lose a second game until facing Jacksonville in the second round of the playoffs, only losing by one touchdown (30-24). To get to the point, the Bulldogs dominated the 3A Central Conference with two shutout victories while going on a 10-0 stretch. Williams almost broke their record for most points scored in a game when they faced Cedar Ridge and ended the game 65-0.
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There is no I in Team
Not only did Walter M. Williams make a name for themselves as a high school football team, but the players themselves were recognized for their accomplishments. Quarterback Dan Mahan (#10), who set the school record for the most passing touchdowns with 32 passing yards during the regular season, is one such player. But no game was a one-man show. On the defensive side of the ball, players like Cooper Rice (#33) and Elijah Kimber (#7) took down Quarterbacks before getting a chance to let go of the ball. But even with enough time to get a pass down field, you’d have players like Leontae Turner (#2) and Jaden Brooks (#35) ready to intercept or swat the ball away from intended receivers.
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MVP on the sidelines
Coach Patrick Stokes deserves the praise and recognition bestowed upon him. Coach Stokes makes sure his players can endure the toughest challenges that await them on the football field. Coaching his players to their first conference championship since 2005, Patrick Stokes led the way for the Bulldogs during the 2024 season. Coach said his seniors played a big role in the success of the season, but he never discredited players in other grades. He said his biggest goal this offseason is to work on depth in all positions. When talking to Coach Stokes, he sounds nothing but proud and joyful when speaking about his players. I asked him for a message to the fans of Walter M. WIlliams Bulldogs. He said: "We are so thankful for all the support our students, coaches, teachers, and administrators provide for our team! Our 2024 campaign was filled with excitement and we were so glad to be able to share those with you along the way. Onward Bulldogs!"