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Williams was at Lock
Haven between 1963 and 1967, back when the school was known at Lock Haven State
Teacher’s College. The experience set him up for the rest of his life in many
ways, Williams said at Hersheypark Stadium on Friday, just before the start of
this year’s AAA District 3 championship game against Mechanicsburg High School.
“When I went to high
school, I decided I wanted to be a teacher and a football coach,” Williams
said. “Going to Lock Haven, I was a physical education teacher, and, of course,
Lock Haven is one of the best in the nation with that curriculum. Playing
football there, coaching was a natural thing.”
The football program
at Lock Haven was small, he said, but despite that, he built strong friendships
with other players and learned from good coaches. The head coach at the time
was Hubert Jack, who Williams said was an outstanding in the state
collegiate conference.
“He was a legend,”
Williams said of Jack. “I was the captain of my team my senior year. Although
the teams were not that great, it was a special time. I had some great
relationships built up with the players.”
After leaving Lock
Haven, Williams went on to build one of the most successful AAA football
programs in the state. At Hersheypark Stadium on Friday, he picked up his 14th
AAA District 3 championship as the Barons went on to beat Mechanicsburg’s
Wildcats in a 27 to 7 victory.
Barons fans showed
in numbers in support of their team as they braved the 30 degree weather with
the help of hats, coats, scarves and blankets. Though the game would begin at 7
p.m., there already was a line of Barons fans outside the stadium by 4 p.m.
The Manheim
community rallies behind the team, which helps its success, Williams said.
“It’s a small town,
like Lock Haven, and you can’t beat the small town atmosphere,” he said. “We
have signs up every week with every team we play. We have a tremendous
following.”
The following feeds
the team’s victories and the victories, in turn, continue to build the
following, he said. It makes for a strong program, he added. The team has won
the district title for 14 out of the past 15 years, only missing the title when
Upper Dauphin won it in 2002-2003, Williams said.
Despite the superb
record, Williams remains humble. On the day of the victory against
Mechanicsburg, he was uncertain the Barons would win the district playoff game
like last year’s championship Barons team, which eventually went on to win the
2003-2004 state title.
“We’ve had good
teams in the past, but last year really fell into place,” Williams said. “I
wouldn’t say last year was our best team, but they hung in there. Maybe what
happened last year and previous years allowed us to be here without a really
top-notch team. You know, tradition and success builds a lot of confidence.
Amazing things can happen when you have confidence.”
For Williams,
coaching doesn’t just involve the wins. It means going through the rough times
as well as the good.
“I would say it’s
like the priesthood,” Williams said. “It’s like a calling. To me the guys I
admire are going to be in it for 25 years. They are the guys who are going to
stay with one school, through thick and thin. It’s easy for me to coach because
we’ve built a successful program. The guys I admire are the most are the guys
who can hang in their town through seasons that are rough, and they can come
back and win.”
No matter how good
of a team you have, there is always the possibility of losing, he said.
“Unless you are
totally committed to the idea of coaching – and it’s not a glamorous thing –
you’ve got to love the kids and you’ve got to be able to accept losing,”
Williams said. “You get humbled many times. The other thing is just about the
time you think you’re hot stuff is about the time you get humbled. I’ve tried
to always be humble. Some coaches will talk a lot. I try to stay humble.”
For those
considering going into coaching, he had this advice: “Stay humble. Realize it’s
a calling. And if you’re going to stay in it, don’t stay in it for the glory.
To me, high school coaching is one of the most honorable professions in the
world.”
The 12-1 Barons go
on to battle Berwick High School this Friday as part of AAA state semi-final
play.
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