Aberdeen High School senior Josh Williams feels like a proud father most Friday nights.
Williams is a three-year starter at quarterback for the Bulldogs. His level of experience is a rarity, as Aberdeen has started as many as seven sophomores on offense this season.
The ability to motivate and to lead the young pups has been everything Williams could have asked for and more.
“We have a very young squad, but we have gotten a lot better since the summer,” Williams said. “You could tell this team has really matured.
“They are doing real good to be so young.”
Aberdeen finished 7-6 last season. This season, the youth roller coaster has already been in full effect, as Aberdeen routed Shannon, lost big to New Hope, and beat Amory in a thriller in Monroe County’s “A Game.”
While most seniors play with a bunch of brothers they have played with for years, the situation has been different for Williams.
“I have learned a lot,” Williams said. “This type of experience has really helped me a lot. I have had to grow up with these young kids. I have had to become more of a leader. Now I am the one teaching them how to do things and have suddenly become a role model.”
Williams has carried himself with a soft-spoken demeanor. That has changed some this year, as he has had to find new ways to motivate a different players. Learning the players during the offseason was the key.
“Being more outspoken has really been a challenge because I am not a vocal person,” Williams said. “Sometimes you have to be loud and authoritative when you are playing in front of large crowds. That is really not me, but I know it is one of the expectations of the position.”
Playing quarterback has come natural. Ever since his first-grade days in pee wee football, Williams always has been undersized, but he also played with the biggest heart. Even today, his ability to dominate is somewhat surprising because of his 5-foot-9, 190-pound frame.
“I have always loved the quarterback position because I am in control,” Williams said. “When the ball is in your hands, everything is on you. The thing about pressure is I love it. Playing quarterback is something you have to live and work at it. You have to start young. You just don’t go there one day and say you want to be a quarterback.”
Make history
Williams etched his name into the rich history of Aberdeen football in his first varsity season in 2012, when the squad finished 11-3. The Bulldogs lost to Charleston in the third round of the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 3A playoffs. Aberdeen also beat Amory, 27-22.
“My favorite game is still my sophomore year against Amory,” Williams said. “We took the ball over with one minute, six seconds left and had to drive the length of the field. We were on there 20 with six seconds left. I threw a ball up in the corner for Aaron McMillian and he came down with it for the touchdown. It was the best moment of my life.”
Williams has had several similar moments. This season, Williams has thrown for 390 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 260 yards and five touchdowns. His quiet nature leads to more determination and more focus.
“Football is a place I can go to express myself,” Williams said. “Since I am not much of a talker, when I get mad, I go to the weight room and take it out on the weights. Football has always been my escape. It is where I go to have fun.”
Williams’ parents, Terry and Nora, always have pushed Josh to be his best. Older brothers Terry, Junior, and Jonathan also had standout baseball and football careers, respectively.
“When you grow up in Aberdeen, you are going to play some type of sports,” Williams said. “My family has been my biggest supporters, and that is how you have success.”
With the end of his high school career in sight, Williams hopes to continue his career at the next level. He said some colleges have expressed interest, but others have been scared away by his size.
“This season is bittersweet in a lot of ways,” Williams said. “I am really focusing on one day at a time and not thinking about the next level. I know if I do best that stuff will work out. I am focused on helping this team win football games. We are so young, there is so much growing up to do.”
Big victory
Williams was dazzling Friday night in a third-straight victory against Amory. He hopes for some more last-second heroics — like the game against Amory in 2012 — this season to help the Bulldogs make a run at the MHSAA Class 3A, Region 4 title.
“It’s just one of those special feelings,” Williams said. “Your chops start licking. You can’t help but be happy. That is why I love this game so much. Every play can produce that type of experience. That is why the game is so much fun. You never know which play will be like that.”
Scott Walters is a sports reporter for The Dispatch. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @dispatchscott.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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