Merrimack linemen Connor Williams, left, and Cam Wheeler will make Saturday's CHaD East-West All-Star Game their football swan song. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

MANCHESTER – Merrimack’s Connor Williams walked into a Plymouth State University open house a few months ago and was immediately, likely thanks to his six-foot-1, 220-pound appearance, lured over to a certain table.

“I just walked in and the rugby (club) table immediately started yelling at me to go over and talk to them,” said Williams, the former Merrimack High School football center said. “So I did.”

It was an easy sell. Good-bye football, hello rugby.

“I’ve always thought it was cool,” Williams said. “It’s hitting without pads, and that’s what attracted me to it, and they have a club team. I’m not the best with school, so I didn’t want the full commitment of a (varsity) team, so I figured I’d play a club sport.”

Williams, as well as his friend and former Tomahawk teammate Cam Wheeler, will say farewell to football after the two linemen take part in Saturday’s annual New Hampshire CHaD East-West All-Star Game at Saint Anselm’s Grappone Stadium. Wheeler, who is also headed to Plymouth State, will play lacrosse there.

Williams began playing football in the first grade, and at first was a running back but wasn’t quite fast enough so with his size he was moved to the line and “kind of stuck with it.”

Especially after he discovered the center position.

“It’s a way to stay involved in every play,” he said. “In the seventh grade (the Merrimack Pop Warner Cardinals) needed a center, and I played flag football and knew how to snap, so I just transitioned over to that.”

And there he stayed, all through high school. There’s a lot that goes into the position – the plays, the snap counts, etc. “It was an extra layer of challenge, but it made it more fun,” Williams said. “It was easier to pay attention, because I had more to pay attention to.”

Now he’s excited about a new chapter in his athletic career – the rugby chapter. How rough does he think it will get?

“I have no idea,” he said. “I have no idea how to play the game again at all.”

Wheeler got into football years ago because his stepdad, Bruce Bradshaw, was a quarterback way down the depth chart at Michigan State.

“It’s a special opportunity to be with some guys (especially Tomahawk teammates Kyle Crampton and Shea Goodwin) one last time, and it’s a great charity event.”

Williams said the same. “I just think it’s a fun way to spend another day, especially with these other three guys I’ve been with through the years.”

Wheeler, at 5-11 and 210, wasn’t the biggest lineman but used his quickness this past season.

“I worked on my speed, got a lot quicker, a lot faster,” he said. “More explosive. It’s a lot easier going against bigger guys when you’re faster.”

His speed gave Wheeler versatility as he was used as a guard, tackle, defensive end, defensive tackle and linebacker. He enjoyed defense a lot more. “Just run right through them,” he said.

Wheeler said when he was younger he was always bigger and heavier than the other kids. But this past year, with his speed, he shifted to linebacker and was even used as a running back.

Wheeler is another football player who has opted for lacrosse in college. His reason is a familiar one – not as hard on the body.

Doubt that Williams will be able to say the same when he tackles rugby, but he’ll still have fun doing it.

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