Williamsport football: Wildcats have 'unfinished business' to settle in 2025

With the 2025 Maryland high school football season set to kick off soon, we’re taking a quick glance at each Washington County team.

Williamsport Wildcats

Coach: Tim Small, 11th year

Last season: 7-4, defeated Winters Mill 48-7 in 2A-1A West first round, lost to Liberty 36-28 in second round.

Top returners: Gabe Parker, Sr., QB; David Grayton, Sr., WR/DB; Xavier Bowie, Jr., OL/DL; Tyson Cleary, Jr., OL/LB; Jordan Wigfall, Sr., WR/DB; Parker Abbott, Sr., OL/DL; Taemyji Boyce-Brown, Jr., RB/DB; Logan Burcker, Sr., RB/LB; Landen McAllister, Jr., RB/LB.

Key losses: Ceonta Wilmore, WR/LB/P; Aidan McAllister, WR/LB; Masiah Martin, WR/DB.

Notes: The Wildcats have finished with winning records in five of the last six seasons and are 7-5 in the playoffs in that span, including 5-0 in the first round. … Last year, Parker set single-season school records for completions (152), passing yards (2,431) and touchdown passes (23). … Bowie was named the 2024 Washington County Co-Defensive Player of the Year. … Williamsport’s other returning All-County first-teamers include Parker, Grayton (WR), Cleary (LB) and Wigfall (DB). … With a 51-48 career record, Small has the most coaching wins in program history and is 12th all-time in the county, including first among active coaches. … In last year’s second-round playoff game, the Wildcats had possession of the ball and a touchdown lead over Liberty with less than 90 seconds remaining, before the game turned sideways on them. “We beat ourselves,” Small said, “and that’s been hard to swallow.”

Biggest challenge: Williamsport High is operating virtually for at least the first few months of the school year due to asbestos contamination in the school. “The obvious hurdle is logistics, but it’s coming together,” Small said. “Once we’re in those structures and routines, hopefully everything will kind of level out to normal.”

Reason to be optimistic: “The 2024 season didn’t end the way we wanted it to. The kids have a little bit of that ‘unfinished business’ mentality,” Small said. “We have eight returning starters on both sides of the ball, and other guys, who’ve played a lot of ball, who are going to start this year. These guys have a lot of experience, and practice has been a lot of fun. There’s a lot of reasons to be optimistic.”