The task of taking down one of NCAA Division II’s best teams was certainly tall for the Shorter football team on Saturday.

University of West Alabama senior quarterback Deon Williams made sure that the Hawks’ mission was, in fact, impossible.

Williams threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns to lead the No. 12 Tigers to a 37-7 victory over the Hawks in each team’s season opener at Demopolis High in Demopolis, Ala.

West Alabama, coming off its first NCAA Division II Playoff appearance in over three decades in 2009, picked up right where it left off against Shorter, which has not won a season opener since its 24-21 win over Brevard in 2007.

“They just beat us,” said Shorter head coach Phil Jones. “They beat us on both sides of the ball. We helped them with some turnovers, but they played an excellent football game and they have some real athletes.

“They are ranked No. 12 in the country and they deserve to be.”

Williams, who finished the 2009 campaign ranked second in the Gulf South Conference with a 146.6 pass efficiency rating, opened up a tight game with a pair of long touchdown passes within a 1:21 span of the second quarter.

Shorter’s Brandon Morten returned a fourth quarter punt 66 yards for the Hawks’ only score. It was the longest punt return for a touchdown in school history.

“Brandon has that kind of ability and he showed it on that punt return,” Jones said. “We are proud of him for that.”

Following a Shorter fumble on the ensuing possession, Williams found Randy Lowery for a 39-yard score on West Alabama’s first play of the drive for a 23-0 halftime lead.

“Those plays took a lot out of us,” Jones said. “The kids are battling and then those types of things happen and it looks like it’s too easy. It takes the air out of you and it’s hard to come back from that.

“I was proud of our kids and our coaches for continuing to play and trying to correct things. As long as we do that, we will get better and that’s what we have to do right now.”

The Tigers outgained Shorter 596-66 and held a 29-4 advantage in first downs, but the Hawks’ defense came up with several big plays to keep Shorter close throughout the first 40 minutes.

The Hawks stopped West Alabama on four plays from the Shorter 1-yard line in the first quarter, denying the Tigers a second early TD and preserving a one-touchdown deficit.

The Hawks forced a fumble inside their own 10 with just under a minute to play in the first half and Zach Mann and Brandon Goss each snared interceptions deep inside Shorter territory in the third quarter to thwart potential UWA scoring drives.

“Our defense made some big plays at times because the guys just kept playing,” Jones said. “They rose up with the big goal line stand, but we consistently let West Alabama move the football for first downs and then let them hit the big play. We have to eliminate that.”

Still, the Tigers dominated time of possession – West Alabama held a 38:02-21:58 advantage in possession – and although Shorter forced 17 third down situations for UWA, the Tigers managed to convert on 13 of those opportunities, including two third down plays that went for touchdowns.

Shorter’s offense struggled somewhat to find it’s way, and never really threatened a highly touted West Alabama defense.

The Hawks were led offensively by sophomore Octavious Edge’s 31 yards rushing on nine carries. Shorter did not complete a pass, and dropped a potential game-tying touchdown early in the first quarter.

“If we complete that pass on the second series of the game with a chance to tie,” Jones said, “it could have affected some things.”

West Alabama came out of the gates firing on all cylinders, forcing a Shorter three-and-out to open the game and following with a 5-play, 75-yard drive capped by T-Ray Mitchell’s 37-yard touchdown scamper.

After the Hawks forced the turnover on downs at the goal line on the Tigers’ next possession, West Alabama tackled Shorter’s Caleb Collins two-yards deep in the end zone for a safety and a 9-0 lead with four seconds left in the opening quarter.

From then on, it was all Williams, as he closed the first half with the two touchdown tosses before opening West Alabama’s scoring in the second half with a six-yard TD toss to Gerald Worsham that put West Alabama up 30-0. He finished 20 of 28 passing and also rushed for 19 yards.

Mitchell finished with 86 yards to lead the Tiger rushing attack. Worsham caught nine passes for 108 and the touchdown.

All-Mid South slotback Antwon Appleton gained 17 yards on two carries for the Hawks. Mason Strickland posted eight tackles, and Mann and Garrett Hochstetler added six tackles apiece.

Shorter will have a short week as it returns to action Thursday, Sept. 2 when it travels to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta to take on Georgia State University in the Panthers’ inaugural game at 7:30 p.m.