Williams’ big game propels Trojans to AAA semis

CORDELE — Dougherty High School senior Arabian Williams said he is ready for his team’s semifinal game Thursday against top-seeded Monroe.

During Tuesday’s 57-42 quarterfinal win against Peach County, he played like it. Williams scored a game-high 31 points n the GHSA Region 1-AAA tournament at Crisp County, while his team improved to 10-11.

Shortly after the win, Williams had his eyes on the Tornadoes.

“We’re ready,” he said of Thursday’s game that will be played at 8:30 p.m. at Westover. “That’s what we live for. We’re ready.”

Shortly before Tuesday’s game, Williams promised his team a strong effort.

“I just told them I had their back,” Williams said.

That promise led to the game’s first defining moment after Peach County jumped out to an 8-0 lead. Williams responded by scoring 10 of Dougherty’s 14 first-quarter points for a 14-9 lead.

“He has been doing that all year,” Dougherty coach Donald Poole said.

Peach County, however, came back to lead, 28-25, at halftime.

What happened in the Dougherty locker room from there depends on who you ask.

Poole called it a “pep talk.”

Williams, however, referred to it as a “speech.”

By the middle of the third quarter, whatever Poole said resonated as Dougherty set up the game’s final defining moment — a 15-1 run started on a layup by none other than Williams. A thunderous, one-handed dunk by Dougherty’s McArthur Gaines right before the third quarter’s end was part of the run which ended on two Williams free throws.

“It was just a matter of us wanting it,” Williams said.

An attitude adjustment, as well as a couple made on offense, helped Dougherty put the game away.

“We slowed things down and on offense took the shots that they gave us, we didn’t force them,” Poole said.

Poole, however, would not comment on playing Monroe.

“I can’t give them any billboard stuff,” Poole laughed.