Viking football gets ready to downsize to 8-man

WILLIAMS, Ariz. - Eight-man football is returning to Williams. After a six-year absence, Williams High School is returning to a smaller formation.

"We've been competing against teams from schools with enrollments of 400-500," said head coach Jeff Brownlee. "This will give us a chance to play schools of the same size."

In the past, Williams has played against larger schools such as Lee Williams, Kingman and Camp Verde. They will now be competing against teams from Fredonia, Colorado City, Joseph City, Mogollan, Mayer and Lake Havasu City.

"For the success of our program and our kids, we've got to have the opportunity to be competitive and have a chance for a state championship," Brownlee said.

According to Brownlee, Williams had good success with eight-man football in the past. "We had several winning seasons with 11-man," said Brownlee. "But we haven't made it to the state championships."

Assistant coach Tanner Grantham said the Williams team won several state championships in eight-man football in the late 80s and early 90s.

"We haven't been able to move past the first round of playoff games, so this change will give us a chance of moving towards a state championship," Grantham said.

Brownlee thinks it will be a great experience for the boys.

"The boys were hesitant at first, but we feel the boys will make the adjustment and play very well," Brownlee said.

Several of the players have already been practicing with Brownlee this summer. The group has been working on an inside-outside zone regain offense and a 3-2 attack defense.

"We are hoping to get ahead of the game by starting this summer," Brownlee said.