West Bladen already preparing for upcoming season

Alex Brooks, Bladen Journal, Elizabethtown, N.C.
·3 min read

Jun. 29—BLADENBORO — Head Coach Stanley Williams and the West Bladen football team prepare for the season ahead with summer workouts. The vibes around the team have been positive and confidence is flowing through the locker room. "I'm feeling good and we got a confident group of seniors," said Coach Williams. Williams has been the head coach of West Bladen for the last three years and has slowly been building up the culture around the program. "These seniors have been with me since I got here and this is the first class of guys that's been with me all the way through."

The expectations of putting in hard work on the practice field from the West Bladen coaching staff has been clear and concise. "We're looking to have a pretty decent season and we're trying to make a playoff run," said Williams."We're concentrating on getting bigger, faster, and stronger."

West Bladen is using these early summer workouts to bulk up in the weight room and is doing light conditioning before they put on pads this late July. They prepare for stiff competition in the SAC 7 with Clinton and St. Pauls returning with premier talent. The Knights aren't short on talent though with Messyah Whitted returning for his senior season at the running back position and junior Hezekiah Adams at the corner position. Coach Williams spoke highly of both players and believes they will be two key players for the Knights this season. "[Whitted]He came alive towards the end of last year and we expect big things from him," said Williams."Adams is my 'Mr. Everything', he can play safety on defense, a receiver on offense, and he's my backup quarterback."

Jahmar Richerdson and Stefane Jessup also return for their senior season and will be key players on the defensive side of the ball. The Knights will also have three seniors on the offensive line to add extra experience to the offense. The quarterback position is still up for grabs but Williams is pleased with the development of his sophomore quarterback Hunter Hester. "He took his bumps and bruises last year as a freshman but he's coming in more mature," said Coach Williams. "He's more dialed in and the game is actually slowing down for him."

Junior wideout Luke Pait coming up from the JV ranks will be one to watch this season and his talent will surprise some. "There is a lot of competition in the conference but we're going to try our best to run with them." Williams also added his perspective to the prospects of student-athletes being able to receive NIL deals. "Do I think we need it? Yes and no," said Williams. "Yes, because we have kids that have an opportunity to help out at home and something simple as a catchphrase on a t-shirt could help pay the light bill."

"As far as the negative, bigger cities have a lot more to offer than little ole Dublin and Bladenboro," explains Williams. "I can see both sides of it but I'm always in favor of evolution." NIL deals are still being discussed in-depth by legislators and the NCHSAA committee before officially going into effect.

Williams is constantly on the go and he's been fully committed to building the Knights program while also preparing young men for their next step in life. Williams enjoys spending his spare time with his family and catching up on some sleep. "Every coach knows this but you're like a 911 operator, your phone line is always open," said Williams. "I try my best to get as much rest as I can." Williams plans to spend next week's dead period with his family on fishing trips and heading towards the beach for some sun.

"My wife also coaches so we're both committed to our teams," said Williams. "We always look for the right balance to make sure we fulfill our obligations to these kids so they can not only succeed in sports but in life as well."