By Seth Daniel
After a number of challenging seasons since the 2001 State Champion football team, Charlestown High Coach Dave Cahill (a long-time Charlestown resident) was expecting another season with promise, but just not enough skill players to get the ball moving forward.
Then junior Quarterback Steven Williams came back home to Charlestown from Excel High School in South Boston – landing on the football team and being a key force in guiding the team back to the playoffs for the first time since 2001.
The team finished 5-3, losing in the first round of the playoffs, but getting some real momentum built in an exciting season that looks to be even better next year.
“C-Town is on the map for next year,” said Williams this week after concluding a successful season where he three more than 10 touchdowns. “Staying home and playing on this field in my own backyard was really exciting. It’s just up the street and I am always there anyway. I played on that field in youth football and so it was like a reunion. It was a fun year for me…The season went better than the coach or I expected. We saw the numbers in the summer and thought it wasn’t so great, but things went well and the team came together really well in the first week.”
Williams, who stands 6’3” and also plays linebacker, came back to Charlestown High this year for academic reasons and to be closer to home. It was a great homecoming for Coach Cahill, who had coached Williams in Charlestown Youth Football also.
“In the past years, we had a few skilled position players that would have gone great with a quarterback, but we never had one,” he said. “That was the case for several seasons…It was an unbelievable homecoming and great to have a leader and a skilled quarterback, which we needed to take the next step. Without Steven, we would have been in the same place, no quarterback that would have been eligible to play.”
Williams has lived in Charlestown his whole life, and was a standout in Charlestown Youth Football from grade 2 to grade 6. He played on an exceptional team under Coach Richie Allen in the 5th grade, he said.
“Charlestown Youth Football prepared me for life in general and how to work together with teammates and building friendships,” Williams said. “It also taught us how to work towards a goal that we want to achieve.”
Next year, Coach Cahill and his new star quarterback are ready for another great season. While they lost a great tight end, they have some receivers coming back and some good prospects.
“Almost our entire backfield is returning, and we’ll have Steven back too,” said Coach Cahill. “Our goal is to make it past the first round of the playoffs and beyond.”