Williams Takes Over for Best Friend, Keeps MRH Perfect

CARUTHERSVILLE – When the Maplewood Richmond Heights' football team found out it would be without sophomore starting quarterback Kahlid Hagens because of an emergency appendectomy last Friday, the Blue Devils were not about to throw in the proverbial towel.

Instead, MRH played inspired football to bring home a Class 2 state quarterfinal victory some 200 miles away from home in hostile territory. The Blue Devils are now 13-0.

Backup quarterback Wes Williams, also a sophomore, was thrust into the starting lineup and managed the offense well enough to keep the Blue Devils' quest for a state title alive and well.

And that's all Hagens asked of Williams as the two best friends texted after the surgery and before Saturday's big game.

"Kahlid basically told me to do whatever it takes to get a win," Williams said after guiding MRH past Caruthersville, 27-13.

The final statistics for Williams didn't exactly jump off the stat sheets, but his performance meant more than simply numbers.

"That's what Wes brings to the team is that he's one of the smartest and wisest kids we have," said MRH head coach Brandon Gregory, who took the field holding Hagen's No. 9 jersey. "I knew coming into the game he wasn't going to be able to do some of the things Kahlid did, so we just stayed within the system to make him be successful. It worked out to our advantage."

Williams completed 5 of 11 passes for 50 yards and rushed four times for six yards with one touchdown. The sophomore did throw one interception, but that play was negated after a defensive pass interference call.

Therefore, Williams had zero turnovers in his varsity debut, which so happened to be a state quarterfinal playoff game on the road. Needless to say, it was a job well done.

"It was a big-time environment here," Williams said. "It was pretty loud at times. The receivers were saying they couldn't hear me, so I had to talk louder."

All Hagens had done through 12 games this season was perform as an All-Mississippi Area West Division first-team quarterback.

Hagens completed nearly 64 percent of his passes (101 of 159) for 1,937 yards with 24 touchdowns compared to just five interceptions. He also added 140 yards and two scores on 29 keepers.

As for Williams, his varsity experience was limited to handing the ball off at the end of blowout victories this season.

"Basically, those were big shoes to fill. Kahlid came out the first 12 games doing everything right," Williams said. "For me to find out that he was going into surgery, I felt like there was a lot of pressure on me. But I had my teammates next to me. They said they had my back and that I needed to just do what I do."

Terron Dale took several of those handoffs from Williams and finished the game with two rushing touchdowns and 40 yards on 16 carries. Randell Stokes highlighted the ground attack with 79 yards on nine rushes while Aystun Ford added 39 yards and one TD on seven touches.

Williams completed passes to four different players, including a pair of third-and-long conversions to Tony King covering 15 and 19 yards, respectively. Williams also connected with Marcus Taylor, Terrell Logan and Dale.

"Wes has a lot of heart. I mean, he filled some big shoes," Dale said. "We helped him out and he helped us out. We made some mistakes, but it was his varsity debut so that's going to happen. But he led the offense and helped us get the win, which is the most important thing."

What Williams' performance proved to Gregory is that his undefeated Blue Devils are more than just one standout player. They are much more than that.

"We're not a one-man show like we've been in the past," Gregory said. "When you build a program, that's what it's all about. When guys go down, somebody else has to step up."

That means Williams and Co. will have to perform at a high level once again when MRH squares off against Lamar (10-3) in the state semifinals at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. The game will be played at Hixson Middle School in Webster Groves.

While Williams will make just his second varsity start in as many weeks, the stakes are even higher now with a trip to the Edwards Jones Dome and a chance to bring home a state championship up for grabs.

"I found out that I can play at the varsity level," Williams said. "The coaches always told me to be ready because the backup quarterback is always one play away from being in the game. So it feels good to be able to get this win for Kahlid, my teammates and coaches."