Kahuku’s Lamone Williams vs. Farrington’s Mason Semisi
In the second installment of Trench Warfare, we have Kahuku defensive end Lamone Williams vs. Farrington tackle Mason Semisi. All scoring on the 10-point must system and very subjective, feel free to add your own score. Farrington won this game at Aloha Stadium 21-7.
Williams is a returning all-state player as a senior and carries a lean 240 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame. Semisi also stands 6-3, but has 40 more pounds (according to the roster) on Williams. Semisi played guard last year but his quick feet might give Williams a lot of problems. Semisi certainly has the edge in size, here are a couple of recruiting videos for our combatants:
Round 1
Semisi won the first encounter with hand control, then pancaked Williams four plays later allowing his quarterback to scramble for positive yardage. Williams Then went to his speed game and beat Semisi inside twice, before Semisi put Williams on the ground for the second time in the series on a pass play. Williams shot the gap on a goal-line play but Semisi wins the round. Semisi, 10-9
Round 2
The gladiators only hooked up twice, on the second and third plays of the drive when Williams beat his man with a speed rush. Williams lined up outside of Semisi in the first drive but stayed inside this time, possibly to avoid the help tight end Akui Hughes was providing. Farrington put Hughes on Williams’ side on four of the five plays in the drive. Williams 10-9
Round 3
Semisi got help from his guard on the first two plays and it was effective, but Williams split them on the third. Semisi will call it a win, as his team scored its second touchdown in the play, but Williams’ speed off the line gives him the round. Williams 10-9
Round 4
Semisi won the first two times he banged heads with Williams, getting no help and neutralizing him. But Williams blows Semisi up on the third play, pushing him back into Saneli Lavatai and knocking him to the ground before he can get into his rout on the screen pass. The crowd wants a flag when the ball is thrown that way, but the crowd doesn’t get its wish. Williams 10-9
Round 5
As is becoming the routine in this contest, Semisi pushes Williams around the first time they tangle but Williams shoots the gap two plays later, beating Semisi and blowing up the ballcarrier for a loss. Williams 10-9
Round 6
Williams uses his speed to shoot the gap twice on Semisi, the second one a speed rush that Semisi can’t handle. Not a lot of action on this series. Williams is scoring on the one-on-one matchups, but Farrington is killing Kahuku’s defense by keeping the action away from Semisi’s side. Williams 10-9
Round 7
Williams dusts Semisi with a hard rush around the edge, but Semisi hustles to recover a fumble on the play. Hughes chips Williams on the next play but Williams swims past Semisi and a helper to get a rare hurry on the quarterback. There is not a lot of passing plays for Williams to show his stuff, but he does it in his few opportunities. Williams 10-9
Round 8
Semisi atones for the hurry in the last series, wrangling Williams around the edge and out of harm’s way in the only meeting between the two players. Williams is hard to handle, but Farrington’s blocking scheme is giving Kahuku fits, and part of the credit for that has to go to Semisi. It seems whenever Williams pins his ears back to bullrush the bigger man, Hughes traps Williams while Semisi takes out the defensive tackle. Semisi 10-9
Round 9
Farrington runs away from Williams during the entire series, and it continues to work. Williams chases down one play, but overall Semisi and Hughes make him little more than a spectator. Williams has a big lead and plenty of energy left, but the loud crowd seems to be boosting Semisi. The big tackle is not making many mistakes, Williams is just getting that one good rush to take the close rounds. Semisi 10-9
Round 10
The combatants begin the tenth series matched up one on one, and Williams puts a speed rush on that gets behind the quarterback and helps clean up a sack by his mates. Semisi held Williams in check long enough to call it a win, but his quarterback didn’t do him any favors. Williams 10-9
Round 11
Farrington puts Hughes next to Semisi five times in six plays, but the tackle doesn’t need the help. He gets under Williams time-after-time and that is all it takes when the Governors repeatedly run away from Williams. Williams does make one tackle after Semisi had him sealed off, but otherwise Semisi held him in check. Semisi 10-9
Round 12
Although Williams is cruising to a win in his head-to-head matchup with Semisi, the Red Raiders are reeling and going to lose this game. The Governors run away from Williams every time in this drive, and why not? It works. It also makes it easier for Semisi to score since he only has to delay Williams for a split second. Semisi, 10-9
Decision: Williams 115, Semisi 113
Semisi closed the matchup well by winning four of the last five rounds but came up short in the decision because of Williams’ work in the third through sixth rounds. With no sacks and no pancakes, this one could have been scored differently but Williams had the edge for the rare occasions he used his quickness to shoot the gap before Semisi could get a glove on him.
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