First-year University of Pittsburgh head football coach Dave Wannstedt has signed one of the area's most physically imposing local players, enforcing his comments about strengthening local recruiting.
Ernest "Mick" Williams, whose punishing style on both sides of the line of scrimmage helped Monessen High School's football team to a 7-3 record and WPIAL playoff appearance last fall, signed a letter of intent with the Panthers.
Though he played fullback and defensive end during his scholastic career, the 6-2, 270-pound Williams was recruited as a defensive lineman.
The 2004 Valley Independent Football Player of the Year, Williams ran for 1,082 yards and 13 touchdowns. He finished with 16 touchdowns, including two on punt returns. He was a first-team, Associated Press Small School All-State selection.
Other schools that the in-demand Williams had narrowed his preference to included West Virginia University, University of Akron, Indiana University (Bloomington, Ind.), and the University of Iowa.
The last Monessen Greyhound who went to Pitt was wide receiver Julius Dawkins, who played for the Panthers from 1979 through 1982. Dawkins, who played with quarterback Dan Marino, earned first-team Associated Press All-American honors in 1981 after catching 46 balls for 767 yards and a 16 touchdowns. He also played two seasons for the National Football League's Buffalo Bills in 1983 and 1984. Dawkins was elected into the Mid-Mon Valley All Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.
100 and counting
For the third time this season, Washington & Jefferson College senior Matt Smith, of Monongahela and Ringgold High School, has been named the Presidents' Athletic Conference Wrestler of the Week by the conference office.
Smith, who wrestles mostly at the 184-pound weight class, was previously honored on Dec. 5 and Jan. 10. He produced a perfect 5-0 record during the final week of January to earn his third award. Smith also became the third Presidents' wrestler in school history to surpass 100 wins during a career.
Following a Feb. 5 championship effort at the 19th annual John Summa Wrestling Tournament held at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, Smith held a career record of 107-29, including a 22-3 mark in 2004-2005.
The bracket's top seed, Smith earned a 6-1 victory over Baldwin-Wallace's Patrick Rawlinson in the first round and then moved to the finals after defeating Anthony Rivera of SUNY-Brockport, 11-6, in the semifinals.
Smith won the title with a 10-4 victory against Olivet College's (Michigan) Todd Miller in the championship bout. Smith has recorded a 22-3 mark this season.
Smith, a three-time conference champion and NCAA Division III Regional runner-up a year ago at 174 pounds, earned his 100th victory after pinning Waynesburg College's Nick Dlugonski in 1:19 on Jan. 26. He continued his winning ways the next weekend with a 4-0 record at the Ursinus College (Collegeville, Pa.) Duals on Jan. 29. Smith picked up one win-by-fall to increase his school record total to 52 pins
Smith is closing in on Washington & Jefferson College's career record for wrestling victories, which is 117 set two years ago by Kevin DeJuliis. Wes Koteski, a 2002 graduate, is the Presidents' only other wrestler with more than 100 career wins, at 108.
Salisbury update
This afternoon, Newell's Chad Salisbury and the Columbus (Ohio) Destroyers of the Arena Football League will hope to even their overall record to 1-1 when they visit the Dallas Desperados at 3 p.m.
On Jan. 28, Columbus opened the 2005 season with a 47-38 home loss to the Nashville (Tenn.) Kats.
Salisbury, the former All-State football and baseball star at Frazier High School, is Columbus' starting quarterback after two years as a backup quarterback at Chicago. Salisbury previously started and starred with the Toronto (2001-2002) and New England (2000) AFL teams.
Against Nashville, Salisbury completed 17 of 32 passes for 236 yards with four touchdowns. He also scored on a 1-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter that gave the Destroyers a 38-33 lead that they would not maintain.
Local fans who want to see Salisbury in action at Columbus can do so Saturday when the Destroyers play host to Salisbury's old team, the Chicago Rush, at 7 p.m. For the first time in his entire football career since high school, Salisbury is not wearing jersey No. 13 in honor of his boyhood idol Dan Marino. Steve Videtich, Columbus' starting placekicker and 10-year AFL veteran, wears No. 13. Salisbury now sports jersey No. 11.
