With both Cal and Stanford failing to earn post-season holiday bowl bids, it is now up to a quarterback from Orinda and a fullback from Concord to embrace the national spotlight in the east bay’s honor.   On January 2, 2001, former Miramonte High School quarterback Ken Dorsey and ex De La Salle High School linebacker/fullback D.J. Williams will lead the number 3 ranked Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes into battle versus the number 4 ranked Florida Gators at the Nokia Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana (ABC 5:00 PST).  

Dorsey, a 6’5 sophomore, is a traditional pocket passer in the mold of past Hurricane greats such as Jim Kelly, Vinny Testaverde, and former Pinole Valley star Gino Torretta. Dorsey has started every game since taking over for injured starter Kenny Kelly as a freshman in 1999 winning three consecutive Big East games and the Toyota Gator Bowl.  This season, he has brought back the winning tradition to Miami football leading the Hurricanes daunting passing attack, completing 188 passes (out of 322) for 2,737 yards (58.4 %) allowing ONLY 5 interceptions while throwing 25 touchdowns.  As a result, Dorsey leads the Big East Conference in 3 offensive categories (total offense, passing yards, and passing efficiency) earning him First Team All-Big East Conference honors.  He is only a sophomore.

As a senior at Miramonte High School, Dorsey was a USA Today Honorable Mention All-American leading the Matadors to a 13-0 record winning the second of his back-to-back North Coast Section 2A titles.  Moreover, in his two seasons as the starter, Dorsey (who selected Miami over Tennessee and Southern California) passed for a staggering 4,968 yards and 52 touchdowns.  

If Dorsey is not exercising his throwing arm darting passes between Gator defensive backs, he will most likely be handing the ball off to another local standout, fullback D.J. Williams.  Williams, a 6’2 235 freshman who runs a 4.45 in the 40, came to Miami as the prize jewel of his recruiting class.  As arguably the greatest defensive high school football player in the nineties, Williams was the 1999 USA Today Defensive Player of the Year as well as the number 1 rated prospect on the Far West Team.  His figures back up his fame.  As a linebacker, Williams had 88 solo tackles, six sacks, four fumble caused, and three fumbles recovered.  To truly obtain an appreciation for these statistics, you must keep in mind that Williams (who broke the hearts of the Florida State, California, Texas, and Michigan faithful when he chose Miami last spring) rarely played a full game because of De La Salle’s destruction upon opponents.  

I should warn you, fellow bowl-watcher, not to be looking for Williams on the defensive side of the ball in the Sugar Bowl, however.  Although recruited as a linebacker, Williams made the athletic transition this season to fullback, a position he feels more comfortable playing, and why not.  At De La Salle, he produced some of the most impressive offensive statistics ever to be garnered at this football powerhouse.  He tied the school record for touchdowns in a season (38) during his senior campaign by rushing for 30, receiving 6, returning one punt, and one fumble return.  

During his freshman season at Miami, Williams has been a punishing blocker, protecting Dorsey and opening up holes for talented tailback James Jackson while rushing for 50 yards on 16 carries (3.1 yards per carry) and a touchdown.  In addition, the versatile Williams caught 12 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown.

Entering the Sugar Bowl, both Dorsey and Williams have had big games against top ranked opponents.  In a 27-24 upset over interstate rival and number 1 ranked Florida State, Dorsey completed 27 of 42 passes for a career high 328 yards and 2 touchdown while allowing ZERO interceptions.  Williams, on the other hand, did his part by carrying the ball 5 times for 16 yards, scoring one touchdown, and catching 3 passes out of the backfield for 13 yards.  

For these two East Bay Hurricanes playing on the national stage, this is a chance to earn national respect for themselves, their team, and their hometowns.