THE WARRIOR: MULTITALENTED DEMARCO IS 'DA MAN' FOR TIGERS

Whatever Cape Central does against Jackson Friday night, DeMarco Williams almost certainly will be in the middle of it.

Williams, a 6-foot, 210-pound senior, is the middle linebacker and signal-caller for the Tigers. He also is Central's starting fullback, ranking second on the team with 297 yards.

As much as anybody, Williams is the heart of the Tigers.

"He's a warrior," Central coach Jerry Dement said. "He's loves to play football, and he's a guy who plays as hard as he can every play."

Williams has been a warrior at the varsity level for three years. This year, he moved to center stage with his switch to middle linebacker.

He leads the team in tackles by a significant margin, averaging 10 per game.

"He has a really good nose for the football," Dement said. "And he's smart; a solid "B" student. He'll play somewhere (in college)."

On the offensive side of the ball, Williams is a true multiple-threat. In addition to his ball carrying duties, he has 14 receptions this season and countless blocks to spring tailback Emmanuel Harris, who leads the Tigers with 591 yards rushing.

He's equipped for the job, with a bench press of 285 pounds and a leg squat maximum of 425.

"I like hitting, so basically I like blocking," said Williams, who was an interior lineman as a youth in Cape Optimist league. "And if I run the ball, I hit somebody."

The target to hit tonight wears red and white. Against Jackson, Williams will attempt to stay on a roll which has produced his best defensive game of the season (in a 9-7 loss to St. Charles West two weeks ago), and his best offensive game of the year (80 yards rushing and three touchdowns in a 47-30 win over Vianney last week).

Central has not beaten Jackson since 1994... before Williams was in high school.

"It's a stepping stone in district, and it's payback time," Williams said. "I'm cool with Jackson, but when it comes to football, I hate 'em."

Williams will be playing on a sore, taped ankle that has knocked him out for a few plays on more than one occasion this year. But it hasn't kept him out of a game yet.

"They'd have to cut his foot off for him not to play," Dement said. "He can tolerate it, and he doesn't let it affect him. He plays intense start to finish."

It's a mind-set perfectly suited for his position on the field... the middle.

"You've got to have some attitude to play there," Williams said. "I just want people to remember that I played hard."