Today’s interviewee is Hughes coach Daniel Williams, whose team finished 15-0 and won Class 6A last season for the school’s first state championship. Williams is in his fifth season. His record is 41-12.
1. Looking back on the 2022 season one more time, what was the legacy of that team or season? What will be most memorable to you? “The most memorable thing was the fact that we were able to win the first state championship in school history and second in south Fulton County history [following Creekside in 2013]. That was big for the school and community. We broke the scoring record, and some say it was one of the greatest teams in state history. I often tell my team before the season what will your legacy be, and one of my coaching colleagues said it was one of the greatest teams in history. We also were the only team to win 15 games in the state of Georgia last year. So the legacy of that team was one that went 1-0 15 times.” [Hughes scored 792 points, breaking the state record of 758 set by Rome in 2017. Hughes was the only 15-0 team, although fellow GHSA champions Ware County and Prince Avenue Christian were 14-0. When Williams said Hughes was the second south Fulton team to win state, he meant among those that still exist. Palmetto High, which closed in 1990, won a couple of Class A titles in the 1980s.]
2. What’s the scouting report on this year’s team? “The scouting report in this is a team with a lot of experience playing at a high level. My junior class has lost only two games in high school, so they played and won in a lot of games. So this team, if we put it all together, can be just what the last two teams were [state runner-up in 2021, champion in 2022]. They’re buying into what we’re asking them to do. As far as strengths, the defensive line is pretty good, and of course the quarterback [five-star recruit and Ohio State pledge Air Noland]. We’ve got a lot of skill guys that can compete on offense and defense. D’Marcus Brown, Ameir Glenn and Jordan Thompson come back to give us leadership on the defensive side. Worries? How physical we are at the point of attack. We’ve got some new guys on the offensive line. And we have to try not to get bit by the complacency bug.”
3. Noland is your best-known player. How would you describe his skill set and what separates him from other quarterbacks? “He understands defenses. He does a good job anticipating throws. He has different arm slots to get the ball out defending the pocket. He’s able to identify our key guys versus their key guys. He can change protections. He has the autonomy to audible. He’s going on 45-plus games, so Air is at the point now where he’s seen every coverage known to man, every stunt. He has touch. He has pop. He has accuracy. He can put the ball down field. He understands the concept of taking what they give you.” [A four-year starter, Noland has thrown for 8,024 yards and 104 touchdowns in his career.]
4. Hughes is close to Creekside and Westlake, two other perennially strong programs. What makes football in south Fulton County so strong? “I believe we are a community among ourselves, if that makes sense. Going against each other, it’s a rivalry, but when it comes to going outside [the county], we’re in three classifications, which is a unique situation. We pull for each other. We don’t have the resources others have, but what we do have is quality coaching staffs, and we all do a great job with what we have. We don’t complain about it. We understand where we are and keep going. We get hard-nosed players and a lot of kids with untapped potential that we’re tapping into.” [Williams grew up in south Fulton and is a former Creekside player and coach.]
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