QB’s improvement a key to Atlantic’s playoffff run
DELRAY BEACH — Antoine Williams had an inauspicious beginning as Atlantic’s quarterback.
Williams, who transferred from Seminole Ridge in the off ff ff ff ff ff season, threw four intercept ions as the Eagles lost their opener to Palm Beach Central 14-13.
Atlantic (11-1) hasn’t lost since, and now the Eagles are one victory away from a berth in the Class 8A state championship. They host Miami High in a semifinal at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
“I’m actually glad that we lost a game, because we had a big head and thought we were all that,” Williams said. “We just worked harder. Worked harder in practice, worked harder on the fifield.”
Atlantic may have to rely more on Williams’ arm. Starting running back Shelley Singletary likely will miss his second week in a row with a shoulder injury. When Singletary was out for last week’s 35-22 victory over Davie-Western, the Eagles handed the ball offff 20 times, with the carries split among six players.
More players than usual got touches as Atlantic ran away with the game.
Williams, a senior, had a solid game, completing 14 of 27 passes for 157 yards with a touchdown and interception. But he didn’t have to do too much, as wide receiver Oyeh Lurry-Davis opened the game with a kickoffff return touchdown and Atlantic returned two interceptions for scores.
Had that game been played in Week 1, then the Eagles would have been in trouble. It took Williams a while to mesh with Atlantic’ s off ff ff ff ff ff en se when he fifirst got to the team.
“At fifirst, it was hard,” Williams said. “I didn’t remember none of the plays, but I started studying, studying hard. And it just came to me.”
Coach T. J. Jackson went even further, saying Williams and fellow transfer quarterback Kalani Ilimaleota “were basically freshmen” going into the season.
But in October, with a victory securing a district championship, Williams turned the corner. Against Boca Raton, Ilimaleota got the start. But when he struggled, Williams got the call.
“He really came into his own,” Jackson said. “We left him in a little longer, as well. ... Just let him play through his mistakes.”
Williams fifinished the game 10 of 14 for 172 yards with four touchdowns, including a fifinal one to receiver Cadarius Gaskin that ended with most of the team celebrating in the end zone.
“He grew a lot since the fifirst game,” wide receiver Corey Gammage said. “He was a bit shaky at fifirst, but as the games (went on), he learned the coverages and everything.”
It doesn’t hurt that Williams has one of the best receiving corps in South Florida. Lining up on any given play are senior Gammage (who has committed to Florida), Gaskin (No. 11 on The Post’s Big Board), Lurry-Davis ( No. 17 ) and bigtime sophomore prospect Aydin Henningham.
“I’ve been working on working with my receivers,” Williams said. “Working on getting them the ball.”
Williams is one of the keys to Friday’s state semififinal. If he gets those receivers the ball, Atlantic is in good shape. If not, the Eagles could be in trouble.
“Come out strong,” Williams said of the key to the game. “Come out strong and fast, and we have to execute on third downs and fourth downs.”