JOHN MIDDLETON
Sports Editor
With athletes at nearly every position, Harlan’s Demarcus Williams brings a different aspect to the Green Dragon offense. Surrounded by elusive playmakers, Williams serves as a bruising ball-carrier in the Harlan attack.
“I think I am a power back. I try to run through arm tackles instead of trying to be as elusive. You can run through more tackles than you can shake through,” Williams said. “I have always seen myself as a little bowling ball. Contact is just something you love. It’s part of the game.”
In his career at Harlan, the fullback/halfback has rushed for over 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns. Williams has also hauled in 29 passes for 410 yards.
“He is more of a straight ahead runner. He bangs around in the middle, but he is also really good for us in the screen game. He has made some big plays for us catching some screen passes,” said Harlan coach J.B. Donahue.
Williams has emerged as a playmaker on the defensive side of the ball for the Dragons, with 29 tackles at defensive end this season.
“He has been a good force for us defensively,” said Donahue. “He is an unselfish kid that went down and played on the defensive line and has really made some plays for us there.”
Williams’ success on the football is aided by his work in the weight room.
“You have to have the muscle to push people around out there and throw some good blocks against bigger teams,” he said. “I think the success on the defensive side of the ball is from hitting the weight room really hard. I can get down there and push off those bigger guys and use my quickness.”
Williams and the Green Dragons will travel to Williamsburg in the second round of the Class A playoffs today.
“My number one goal is to make it past this Friday, then make it past next Friday,” Williams said. “We want to take Harlan football somewhere it has never really been before — put our mark on this school.”
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