Notre Dame commit Aneyas Williams leads Hannibal past Holt in Missouri Class 4 District 4 football semifinals
WENTZVILLE, MISSOURI – Aneyas Williams is doing everything he possibly can to make the most of his final high school season.
The Hannibal senior and Notre Dame-bound running back had a monster performance with 256 yards and four touchdowns rushing and 289 total yards to lead the Pirates to a 48-27 victory over host Holt in the Missouri Class 4 District 4 semifinals on Friday.
“This one means a lot,” Williams said of his final playoff run. “I mean, it means everything. I’m just doing whatever I can for this team. Win or lose, this senior class we’ve been together for almost 16, 17 years now since first grade. So it’s been awesome and memorable. I’m just trying to make the most of it this last season.”
The win was the 10th straight for Hannibal (10-1). The Pirates, the No. 3 seed in the district, will now host the Class 4 District 4 championship game after fourth-seeded Warrenton (11-0) knocked off top seed Parkway North 28-21 in overtime in the other semifinal on Friday.
Hannibal has won three straight district titles and with Friday’s victory improved to 32-5 since the start of the 2021 season. But the Pirates came up short in the Class 4 championship game in 2021 and lost in the quarterfinals a year ago, leaving them with unfinished business – particularly this senior class.
“It just means a lot to us,” said junior quarterback Waylon Anders. “It’s their last year and I feel like our underclassmen know that we owe it to them because they’ve been great, we’ve had good playoff runs every year that they’ve been here. Coming up short last year in the quarterfinals, it’s just tough. We have a chip on our shoulder.”
Williams and junior running back Mike Ferreira (144 yards rushing, two TDs) combined for six touchdowns against second-seeded Holt (7-4), including four in the first half as the visiting Pirates jumped out to a 27-7 lead at halftime.
Holt surged back in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 27-20 on a 2-yard run by Mason Burke with 5 minutes 5 seconds left in the quarter, but Hannibal answered with a 62-yard run by Anders and then came up with clutch interceptions by sophomore linebacker Dylan Bock and junior Aaron Daughtery to seize back momentum.
“We had a lot of mistakes, more turnovers than we’ve had in a long time, and they are a tough well-coached team,” Holt coach Ethan Place said. “When you make those type of mistakes it’s very tough to dig yourself back out of the hole you got yourself into. But I was proud of the way the kids fought in the second half. It was just too little, too late.”
Williams scored his fourth touchdown – his 35th of the season – and Ferreira scored his second in the fourth quarter to extend the Pirates’ advantage to 48-20.
After a touchdown pass from Ayden Sullivan to Kayone Thompson with 2:23 remaining made it 48-27, Hannibal senior offensive lineman Ryan Ross recovered the ensuing onsides kick and the Pirates were able to run out the clock.
Williams praised his offensive line’s performance against a bigger Holt defensive front, but the Notre Dame pledge stole the show like he usually does.
After an 11-yard touchdown run on Hannibal’s first series, he showed his burst and elusiveness with scoring runs from 63 yards and 69 yards out late in the first quarter and early in the second. He made a leaping highlight-worthy 33-yard reception between three defenders. He made tackles. He even unleashed a 63-yard punt.
“There’s a really good reason why all those colleges were wanting him,” Hannibal coach Jeff Gschwender said. “The kid can do a lot of different things. The last three-four weeks he’s been playing our outside receiver. We were using different backs. He can play any offensive spot on the field really and he’s just a dynamic player.
“He allows us to be able to create matchups. He allows us to be able to send him out at wide receiver, lighten up the box a little bit. Just having him on the field really affects how a defense has to play us and by doing that you can take advantage of that.”
Place, the Holt coach, called Williams “special.”
“He’s a very smooth back,” Place said. “He’s got great vision. He can throw well, he can kick well, he can play defense. He can pretty much do a lot of different things. He’s a special talent.”
Anders, the Pirates’ quarterback, pointed to two specific traits that make the Hannibal senior running back a special player.
“He’s committed to Notre Dame. Everybody knows he’s good,” Anders said. “He comes in and works his butt off every single day and motivates our guys. That’s the biggest thing to me. He’s a great leader.”
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- Nate Latsch | latsch@scorebooklive.com | @SBLiveMiz
