Phil Anastasia: Williamstown using past postseason football failings as motivation

Buddy Brown knows that the playoffs have been a problem for Williamstown football.

"There's no denying it," said Brown, a senior linebacker and Temple recruit.

Derek Lauria doesn't shy away from the skepticism of outsiders when it comes to the Braves and the postseason tournament.

"I use it," said Lauria, a senior linebacker and the team's leading tackler. "I store it away and use it as motivation."

Williamstown is 50-4 in its last 54 regular-season games. The Braves are 23-3 in West Jersey Football League play since they helped create the superconference before the 2010 season.

But the hard truth is that Williamstown's rise to South Jersey prominence over the last five seasons mostly has been about success in September and October.

The Braves have never played in December, and their memorable Thanksgiving Day moments - of which there have been many in recent years - have been mitigated by struggles in November playoff games.

"We've got to get over it," Williamstown coach Frank Fucetola said.

Fucetola can recite chapter and verse of his team's playoff losses over the last five seasons. The Braves are 1-5 in the postseason since 2007, and 1-9 in the playoffs in the history of the program.

"Turnovers," Fucetola said of the common theme in playoff losses to Washington Township in 2011 and 2008, to Oakcrest in 2010, to Cherokee in 2009, and to Eastern in 2007.

Brown and Lauria are among a group of seniors who have led Williamstown to perhaps its best regular season ever. The Braves are 8-0, they've outscored opponents by 284-96, and they led the state in power points at the playoff cutoff with 186.

But it's a new season Friday night, when eighth-seeded Millville (5-3) comes to town for the first round of the South Jersey Group 5 tournament.

"We have to go out and play for us, not for anybody else," Brown said. "As seniors, we know what's at stake. It's not so much that we want to prove something to other people as much as we want to have success for ourselves. We've worked too hard not to have success."

As his teammate does, Lauria wants the Braves to embrace the challenge, not shrink from it.

"We don't care what people outside the program think about this program," Lauria said. "We're a family, a brotherhood. I ignore what people say, but at the same time, I take it in, I hold it inside me, and I use it to motivate me and my teammates to have even more success."

Williamstown has been terrific this season. The Braves have looked as good as, if not better than, No. 1 St. Joseph.

Playoff success is the next step for this emerging power program. If the Braves take it, watch out.

Friday, 7 p.m.

Seeds, records: Top-seeded Williamstown is 8-0. Eighth-seeded Millville is 5-3.

Last year: Williamstown lost to Washington Township, 42-23, in the first round of the South Jersey Group 4 tournament. Millville beat Rancocas Valley, 19-0, and Washington Township, 42-41, before losing to Pennsauken, 55-34, in the South Jersey Group 4 title game.

Millville preview: The Thunderbolts have big-play potential with sophomore running back Rob Ennis (177 carries, 1,284 yards) as well as senior quarterback Rashon Sorrell and senior wide receiver DaQuan Bowman. Junior tackle Antoine White, who has an offer from Rutgers, leads the defense.

Williamstown preview: The Braves' wing-T offense is led by running backs John Chamberlin (148 carries, 817 yards), Marques Little (63, 639), and Kali Boyce (60, 517). Quarterback Doug Banks has thrown for 528 yards and seven touchdowns. Linebackers Derek Lauria and Buddy Brown lead the defense.

Outlook: Williamstown will look to control the football and the clock with its ground game. The Braves have the speed on defense to limit Millville's big plays.

Pick: Williamstown, 27-13.

- Phil Anastasia

EndText