OAKWOOD -- West Hall was in no mood for another comeback -- and Kwon Williams made sure it would not be necessary.<br />
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One week after helping his team to a fightback win on the road, the junior lit the Spartans' fuse and then kept exploding, as he scored five touchdowns -- three in the first half -- to pace West Hall in a 49-0 win over Fannin County in Oakwood.<br />
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Williams put up 195 yards rushing with four scores -- including a 95-yard sprint -- as well as an 85-yard kickoff return touchdown to help West Hall (7-1, 4-0 Region 7-AAA) put a stranglehold on first place in Region 7-AAA. <br />
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"He's playing so well for us, but even more than that is his attitude and leadership," West Hall coach Tony Lotti said of Williams. "It's been a growth process for him, and I'm proud of how he responded. I'm proud of how we played, but I think we all played pretty well tonight against a good football team."<br />
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Indeed it was a total team effort, and West Hall's defense also did its part, stunting Fannin's normally-potent offense while limiting the Rebels (4-4, 2-2) to 262 total yards en route to a fourth shutout of the season. <br />
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Most of the damage came in the first half, when the Rebels managed just five punts and a turnover on downs, as the Spartans took a 28-0 advantage into halftime.<br />
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"We talked about it all week, that we couldn't come out here and afford to fall flat," Lotti said. "We didn't -- we came out here and played fast from the beginning."<br />
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Williams got things started for West Hall, ripping off a 56-yard scoring run on West Hall's fifth play from scrimmage, yielding a 7-0 lead with 7:13 left in the first quarter. The junior added a 6-yard run on the next possession for a 14-0 first quarter lead.<br />
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Tyquan Statham took his turn in the offensive spotlight in the second quarter, hauling in a 50-yard reception one play before rumbling 26 yards for a 21-0 lead with 11:23 left before the half.<br />
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Fannin County attempted to respond, moving to the West Hall's 38 on its ensuing possession, but the Spartans defense stood tall, forcing a turnover on downs. The stop set up a 69-yard scoring drive capped by -- inevitably -- Williams, who scored from 12 yards for a 28-0 halftime lead.<br />
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"This game meant a lot; the last time we played Fannin County here -- my freshman year -- we lost to them, and coach wouldn't let us forget that this week," Williams said. "And this was big for our defense because we hadn't had a shutout since our third game."<br />
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Williams played like a man on a mission from start to finish, and he continued to torch the Rebels in the third quarter -- starting with an 85-yard kickoff return to open the half. The return showcased toughness, vision and speed, as Williams absorbed a kill-shot from a Rebel defender before cutting behind a wall of blockers and eventually picking his way to daylight, pulling away for the score and a 35-0 advantage.<br />
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"After that first hit I just tried to get to the edge, but it wasn't quite there -- but then Tyquan (Statham) got a good crack-back block and things just opened up for me," Williams said.<br />
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Seven minutes later Williams one-upped himself, sprinting 95 yards for a score and a 42-0 lead with 5:41 left in the third quarter, as the Spartans began to put the finishing touches on the game. Darius Coleman Blair closed out the scoring with an 83-yard scoring run with 3:02 remaining.<br />
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"I don't know about making any sort of statement; we've got two big games left, and we've got some big goals for ourselves," Lotti said. "I like the direction we're heading as a team, but we're not there yet. We still don't feel like we've played our best football yet."<br />
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West Hall will travel to face a Banks County team that has won two straight next week.<br />
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Fannin County, meanwhile, will look to bounce back against East Hall in a key game next week in Blue Ridge.<br />
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<b>SCORING SUMMARY</b><br />
<b>FANNIN CO</b>.....0....0....0....0 -- 0<br />
<b>WEST HALL</b>...14...14...14....7 -- 49<br />
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<b>First Quarter</b><br />
WH -- Williams 56 run (Hodgson kick) 7:13, 7-0<br />
WH -- Williams 6 run (Hodgson kick) 2:47, 14-0<br />
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<b>Second Quarter</b><br />
WH -- Tyquan Statham 26 run (Hodgson kick) 11:23, 21-0<br />
WH -- Williams 12 run (Hodgson kick) 6:56, 28-0<br />
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<b>Third Quarter</b><br />
WH -- Williams 85 kickoff return (Hodgson kick) 11:40, 35-0<br />
WH -- Williams 95 run (Hodgson kick) 5:41, 42-0<br />
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<b>Fourth Quarter</b><br />
WH -- Blair 83 run (Hodgson kick) 3:02, 49-0
