By RICHIE HALL
Reporter Sports Editor
The act of kicking extra points in football is so common in football, that it’s usually an afterthought.
Those extra points can add up, though. In the case of Sheridan senior Gunnar Williams, those kicks added up to a school record streak.
Williams kicked 65 extra points in a row for the Blackhawks in a streak that started last season and ended a couple weeks ago. Williams ran his streak up through Week 9 of this season, kicking two extra points during Sheridan’s 55-13 win over South Decatur before finally missing in the second quarter.
After that, Williams started another streak, which is at 11 – and counting.
“He had a heck of a streak going, 65 in a row,” said Sheridan coach Bud Wright. “That’s by far the school record here. That’s really a heck of a job kicking the ball.”
Williams began kicking for the ‘Hawks in his sophomore year, slowly taking on those duties as he became a member of the varsity team.
“My sophomore year I worked into it a little bit, so I was ready for my junior year,” said Williams. “I didn’t do the kickoff duties last year, just the extra points. It was something I had to adjust to, because at the beginning I wasn’t too hot.”
But once Williams got rolling, he became an automatic seventh point after Sheridan scored a touchdown.
“I just try to do my job,” said Williams. “I didn’t focus too much on what the amount was.”
Williams has had quite a few opportunities to kick, since Sheridan has been scoring quite a few touchdowns this season. The ‘Hawks are averaging 41.7 points per game, and have cracked the 50-point mark in six of their games. Twice Sheridan has reached 60 points, scoring 63 against Clinton Prairie and 64 against Taylor in consecutive weeks.
“I think the team’s been playing great,” said Williams. Sheridan is 8-2 for the season, with its only losses to very good Western Boone and Tipton teams.
Williams plays on both offense and defense for Sheridan, and does pretty well on both sides. The senior has scored eight touchdowns and also kicked a field goal. In fact, Williams is the second-leading scorer in Hamilton County with 101 points. The only player ahead of him is his Blackhawks teammate Joe Callahan, who has 140 points on 23 touchdowns and a two-point conversion.
“It’s exhausting, but the opportunity is great,” said Williams. “Not a lot of people get to play both sides of the ball and that just means I get more playing time. I like to benefit my team as much as possible. I try to perfect everything I do, whether it’s on the offensive side, defensive side or special teams. I’m sure all the other guys could vouch for themselves on that.”
As a senior, Williams said he is starting to entertain the possibility of playing in college.
“I’ve really considered it,” said Williams. “I don’t have any offers. If someone’s going to pay for my college, I’ll definitely take it.”
Sheridan senior Gunnar Williams set a school record by kicking 65 consecutive extra points for the Blackhawks. Williams’ streak started in his junior year and lasted through Week 9 of the regular season this year. (Kent Graham)