Today’s interviewee is Hughes coach Daniel Williams, whose team beat Westlake 31-24 last week in a Region 4-6A game between top-10 teams. The victory was Hughes’ first over a team ranked in the top three, and it threatens Westlake’s streak of seven region titles.
Daniel Williams, Hughes head coach
1. What did that victory mean for your team? “Getting that first region win is always good. Every game you win matters, and that’s the No. 1 deal. And of course, it’s Westlake, a crosstown rival. For my guys, it’s just the next game on the schedule. North Atlanta this week is just as important.” [Williams downplayed the rivalry part but added: “Football in south Fulton County doesn’t get enough notoriety. Three teams in the top 10, all in a 15-minute radius, all these players right here.” In addition to Hughes and Westlake, Creekside is ranked No. 3 in Class 5A.]
2. How did the game play out? What were the big plays? “The game played out as I expected. We came out and forced a couple of turnovers and got in the end zone three times in the first half and were up 24-0 in the third quarter. I told them at halftime 18 wasn’t enough and that 24 was still not enough. We knew Westlake wasn’t going to lay down. I wasn’t surprised at how the game changed. We were up 31-17 after the pick six [81 yards by Armani Tookes] with a minute and something left. They threw a post and scored quick. We punted with 58 seconds left. They were on our 12. They went option pitch to the boundary on their sideline. We had nothing but a mike linebacker on the option, and Mike Watson ran it down between the goal line and the 1 and made the tackle. Probably the biggest play in our history.” [Watch Fox5′s highlights, the decisive play at about 2:00 with Bill Hartman commentating.]
3. What do you feel gave your team the edge? “The kids wanted to win coming off the five-point loss last year. Practice was real loose last week. There wasn’t a lot of chatter or talking. It was ‘Coach, we got it. We understand the task at hand.’ Throughout the game, they never got too high or too low. We tell them every day that good and bad things are going to happen in a football game. It’s how you respond.”
4. You made the quarterfinals last year. How does this team stack up with that one? “I brought quite a bit of our team back. Maybe of the 22 on offense and defense, 16 or 17 starters return, so they’re seasoned. They know what it took to make the run last year. This year’s team is a senior-led group. Our seniors have been through the trials and tribulations and played a lot of good football games. We could be better this year. Last year, it was the blind leading each other through.” [Hughes hadn’t won a playoff game since 2016 until advancing two rounds last season.]
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