MASON — After wrapping up a 3-7 season with a 49-19 playoff loss to Pontiac Notre Dame Prep last November, Kaleb Nielson and the rest of the returning players on the Williamston football team knew things had to be different.
And they desperately wanted to prove that the 2024 version of Williamston football wasn’t reflective of the direction of the program.
So they began putting in the work.
It started in December with a leadership council session where players sat down and established core goals and core values.
And things kept building from there, whether it was working on tackling in the winter to fix a weakness from 2024 to time spent in the weight room to success at 7-on-7s during the summer and more.
That extra work and dedication has translated to Williamston already matching its win total from 2024 through the first three weeks of the season. And the Hornets made their biggest statement yet on Friday, Sept. 12, with their 28-0 road victory over defending CAAC Red champion Mason to open league play.
“Equaling the amount of wins we had last year in the first three weeks is astonishing,” Nielson said after throwing for three touchdowns and rushing for a score. “I wouldn’t even say astonishing, I’d say we knew what we were capable of this year. Every week we climb.”
Having a large group of players back from that 2024 team who were hungry to be better has been the key for a Hornet team determined to keep proving they are a factor in the CAAC Red and in Greater Lansing this season. Players said the varsity experience gained in 2024 and being more focused in practices has also helped Williamston, which is joined by St. Johns as the only 3-0 teams in the CAAC Red heading into Week 4..
“I think this really showed who we are as a team,” Williamston senior Hunter VanSickler said. “I know we had a down year last year and were 3-7, but we brought all of our starters back. I think that’s what really propelled us to do well this year. We knew we had the team to do it. We just had to put it together and I think tonight really showed that we put it together.”
There’s also been more accountability, with players making sacrifices all with a common goal in mind of becoming a better team.
“That’s a big part of what you saw tonight was the hunger over time,” Williamston coach Steve Kersten said. “It’s been building. Guys being upset in June, July and August and saying we’re going to get after this this season. Miles Keener and Kaleb Nielson, both (on) offense and defense, just leading us and saying we will not accept mediocrity, we want more. To see that day in and day out, it shows up on Friday nights.”
While the Hornets find themselves in a much better position than they were a year ago, Keener and the other leaders are determined to make sure Williamston keeps building on its early success. The win over a Mason program that’s made four straight Division 3 state semifinal appearances and has been the dominant team in the Red is the signature one of an early schedule that also includes wins over Lansing Catholic and Hastings.
But more tests loom starting next week with an improved Fowlerville team enjoying its best start since 2019.
“It’s just going to boost us,” Keener said of the latest win. “(Being) 3-0 is better than 0-3 and that’s what we were last year. We just have to keep working hard every week and pay attention to the small details. That’s what we did tonight to put a zero up on the board.”
Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on X @brian_calloway and BlueSky at @briancalloway.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Williamston football flipping the script after down 2024 season
Reporting by Brian Calloway, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
