The nickname is starting to catch on with the Grain Valley student section at football games.
“Choo! Choo!” the fans exclaimed as senior running back Ty Williams broke of a 48-yard run in Friday’s non-conference contest with Blue Springs South.
Head coach David Allie gave Williams the nickname “The Grain Valley Express.” The fans and the players were all aboard.
Williams continued is standout season as he rushed for 235 yards rushing on 25 carries, caught four passes for 125 yards and four total touchdowns to lead the Eagles to a 30-20 victory at Larry Stewart Memorial Stadium at South High School.
“The offense continues to do a great job blocking and our quarterback (Sal Caldarella) continues to make the right reads,” Allie said. “Ty did a great job catching it and running with it.”
The senior now has 1,102 yards and 16 TDs on the ground, averaging 220.4 yards per game. Williams has made a Grand Canyon sized leap from his sophomore season until now.
“He’s a great running back and their coaches do a great job schematically,” South head coach Alan Wilmes said. “He’s a tough runner and he made us pay a few times.”
As a sophomore, Williams was a wide receiver. As a junior, he was in a three-man committee with DJ Harris and Christian Lanear at running back. Now he’s emerged as one of the best running backs in the state.
He also got so show some of his receiving skills against the Jaguars (0-5). On third-and-23, he caught a ball in the middle of the field from Caldarella, broke a couple of tackles and went 38 yards for a first down at the South 31-yard line.
That was a critical play as that set the stage for Grain Valley place kicker Ben Drinkwater to make a 48-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to put the Eagles ahead 10-7.
He also caught swing pass from Caldarella late in the third period and rumbled for a 60-yard TD late in the third, which gave his team a 24-14 advantage.
“I like being able to catch the ball, it’s fun,” Williams said. “It’s part of my versatility. If the opposing defense stops me when I am running it, the coaches can put me out there, and I can catch balls.”
The first half was a low-scoring affair as the teams exchanged touchdowns. After Drinkwater missed a 35-yard field goal attempt on Grain Valley’s opening possession, South quarterback Ayden Wilhelm took advantage as he hit junior Cameron Sanders in the back of the end zone for an 8-yard scoring pass to go up 7-0.
The Eagles (4-1) responded on the next drive as Williams’ 46-yard run set up 10-yard TD jaunt, in which he broke two tackles on his way to pay dirt.
Late in the second quarter a deep pass from Wilhelm was intercepted by senior junior defensive back Jordan Fuller, who made an over-the-shoulder catch. That eventually led to the Drinkwater field goal that put Grain Valley up by three.
After South held an explosive Grain Valley offense in check in the first half, the Eagles got it going in the final 24 minutes. On the Eagles’ first possession of the second half, Williams’ 14-yard run on third-and-8 and Caldarella’s 3-yard scamper on fourth-and-2 from the South 16, set up a Williams 4-yard TD run at the 4:24 mark in the third.
The Grain Valley defense continued to make strides after a rough first three games of the season as it got another crucial stop late in the third period. The Eagles got the ball back and scored again on Williams’ 60-yard TD reception.
“It’s been huge,” Williams said of the defense’s improvement. “They have been taking pressure off me and the whole offense. They are our there working their butts off.”
Wilhelm’s TD passes of 63 and 13 to senior wide receiver Caysen Stevenson was sandwiched around a Williams 54-yard scoring run with 3:56 left that gave Grain Valley enough cushion to come away with a double-digit win.
Stevenson was a bright spot for the Jags as he had 10 catches for 162 yards and two scores. He showed his elusiveness as he joked multiple Grain Valley defenders throughout the contest.
“He’s a great player,” Wilmes said of Stevenson. “He was out last week so it was great to have him back, but unfortunately we came up short.”
Wilhelm added 215 yards passing on 16 of 28 completions, three TDs and an interception. Caldarella, who utilized a bevy of single-read, quick throws, completed 15 of 26 passes for 179 yards and a score.
Caldarella was able to do that because of South’s cornerback playing 5-plus yards off of Grain Valley’s receivers.
“We throw to grass,” Allie said of the quick throws. “If you give us that much space, we’re going to take it. If we get five yards, that’s a great play.”
