Defense, special teams set pace in homecoming win

WILLIAMSBURG — The offense had yet to make an appearance, but a little over seven minutes into last Friday night’s Homecoming game against South Tama, Williamsburg led 27-0.

How’s that you ask? No offensive plays and 27 points?

Rayce Heitman is how. The 6-1, 175-pound Raider junior scored four first quarter touchdowns on two pick sixes and two punt returns. He added a fifth TD just before halftime as Williamsburg began its quest for a sixth straight district football championship by thumping the Trojans 61-6.

Heitman’s first touchdown was a nifty 53-yard punt return. Touchdowns two and three were back-to-back pick sixes of 20 and 25 yards. Number four was another punt return of 45 yards.

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Tack on three PAT kicks by Logan Rethwisch, and the No. 1 Raiders were well on their way to staying unbeaten — without their offense having played a down yet.

The Raiders move to 5-0 overall, 1-0 in 3A District 5.

When asked if any of his teams have ever been involved in such a crazy start, Williamsburg Coach Curt Ritchie said, “No. Not even close.”

South Tama’s next possession after Heitman’s touchdown flurry ended in a Nile Sinn interception, giving the Raiders’ offense a chance to finally operate.

The offense wasted no time, scoring on the first play after Sinn’s pick on a 34-yard pass from Kellen Cockrell to Clayten Steckly, closing out a 34-0 first quarter.

Williamsburg scored three more times in the second period, on a 3-yard pass from Cockrell to Braylon Wetjen, an 81- yard run by Sinn and, with time expiring, a seven-yard pass from Cockrell to Heitman, making it 54-6 at intermission.

It was just a matter of the clock winding down in the second half as Ritchie pulled his starters and watched his reserves put the finishing touches on Homecoming 2023 with a 34-yard touchdown pass from Bryson Wetjen to Anthony Fenton.

Max Wodianka added his second PAT kick.

The Raiders’ defense smothered the Trojans all night, yielding fewer than 100 total yards, half of that coming on their only touchdown drive against the reserves.

Winners of their last 26 district games dating back to the 2018-19 season, Williamsburg goes on the road the next two weeks, facing Fairfield (2-3, 0-1) Friday and Solon (4-1, 1-0) Oct. 6.