Braeden Williams can play any kind of football
LECANTO, Fla. — Whether he鈥檚 tackling players on the gridiron or scoring goals on the soccer field, Braeden Williams can dominate any type of football. He plays for Lecanto High School in Lecanto, Florida, nestled in the community of Beverly Hills. No, not Beverly Hills, California, but rather in Florida.聽
Beverly Hills, Florida is home to some great athletes, and Braeden Williams is trying to get his name in the conversation. He鈥檚 an all-county defensive back for Lecanto鈥檚 football team, but he鈥檚 also one of the top players on Lecanto鈥檚 soccer squad. While he enjoys both sports, football is still his first passion and he takes great pride in being one of the leaders on a stingy Lecanto defense.聽
As a senior and one of the team leaders, Williams had a few thoughts about what the start of the 2021 season would be like after the 2020 season was cut short due to COVID.聽
鈥淣ow the juniors coming up and the seniors have to step up, and a lot of our younger guys, they鈥檙e really not younger guys. They act just like seniors and have the leadership just like seniors,鈥� . 鈥淪o it helped to bring all the team together and just work together in the offseason.鈥澛�
It turned out that Williams鈥� words about juniors stepping up would hold true as Lecanto struggled with a number of early-season injuries. Despite having some success throughout the year, Lecanto finished with聽 4-6 record and were 1-2 in the 6A District 5 Football League. Overall, it was a disappointing season for the Panthers, but Williams always seemed to be a bright spot.聽
Williams was always there to provide a spark on the defensive end and finished the season second on the team in tackles with 60. He was also second on the team in solo tackles with 28, and could get the better of any opponent no matter how big they were. Despite being a safety, he led the team in tackles for loss with eight, showing his speed and determination at getting into the backfield. He further proved his ability to get to the backfield by leading the team with 3.5 sacks.聽
While Williams wasn鈥檛 able to pick off any passes he did manage to tie for the team lead with two forced fumbles. On the offensive end, Williams had to play receiver at times and was no slouch. He reigned in six catches on the year for 107 yards and a touchdown.聽
No matter what ups and downs Lecanto faced or what injuries they suffered, Williams could always be counted on to show up and make plays.
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