Unselfish QB helps spur Valley’s rise

If Kerwynn Williams had his druthers, he still would be playing running back for the Valley football team.

But when Vikings coach John Elwell approached his standout senior earlier this season about making a position switch to quarterback, Williams didn’t have to think long about his answer.

“I see it’s better for the team that I do play quarterback, so I can’t think about what I want,” Williams said. “I have to think about what’s best for the team.”

The move has paid dividends for Williams and the Vikings (2-4, 0-3 Northeast League), who enter Friday’s 7 p.m. game against visiting Chaparral (2-4, 1-2) already having equaled last year’s win total.

“He works hard, and he wants to win,” Elwell said. “It’s not about stats. It’s not about him getting the ball. It’s about the team having success.

“A lot of kids are me, me, me, and they want their stats. I can’t compliment him enough.”

Williams was an All-Northeast League performer at running back as a junior, and Elwell, in his first season as coach, installed a two-back offense this summer that was designed to feature his talented back. But during the Vikings’ season-opening 54-26 loss to Del Sol, Williams saw time at quarterback in a spread-option package.

After the game, Elwell and his staff evaluated the film and decided the team’s best chance to move the ball offensively was with Williams behind center. After talking it over with Williams, the change became permanent.

“We want to put our team in position to make as many plays as we can possibly make,” Elwell said. “We felt our best opportunity was with him at quarterback. Not only does he make plays, he makes pretty good decisions with the football.”

In six games, the 5-foot-10, 178-pound Williams has rushed for 988 yards and 12 touchdowns, while averaging 11 yards per carry despite being the focal point of the opposition’s defense. He also has thrown for 411 yards on 27-for-51 passing and scored on an 87-yard punt return in a 53-32 road victory against Western on Sept. 12.

His biggest game of the season came in last week’s 52-13 loss to third-ranked Las Vegas as Williams finished with 205 yards on the ground, including touchdown runs of 71 and 28 yards.

“It’s pretty good for me to do that against good teams,” Williams said. “It shows I can put up numbers against any team. At the same time, all that’s good, but I’d rather come out with a victory.”

As successful as Williams has been this season, the Vikings have been at their best offensively this season when they are able to get the ball to other players like seniors Malcolm Wilks and Jimmy Videaux-Deaguila, along with juniors Garic Wharton and Wallace Dean.

“When I first started playing football, my dad told me you can’t win by yourself and it’s not just a one-man show,” Williams said. “It’s a good thing because teams see me as a threat on the field and they have to prepare for me. That opens other doors for other players to shine. If they concentrate on me, we can get the ball to other players, which they won’t be expecting.”

However, Williams and Elwell admit that has been a difficult task at times this season.

“Against Liberty and Western we were really able to distribute the ball to other players, and that’s what made us more effective,” Elwell said, referring to the Vikings’ two wins. “Our biggest challenge is to get other players the ball in space.”

Williams’ future almost certainly will be at running back or defensive back, and he already is hearing from Pacific-10 Conference schools such as Oregon State, Washington and Washington State, along with UNLV, Brigham Young and Vanderbilt, according to Elwell.

Williams also is an outstanding student who is part of Valley’s prestigious International Baccalaureate magnet program and carries a 3.7 grade-point average.

“He will be an asset to any program,” said Elwell, whose team still has an outside shot at qualifying for the Sunrise Region playoffs. “Not only is he talented on the football field, he’s gifted in the classroom and as a person. He will make any team better.”