Anna football reaching new heights behind sophomore QB, senior urgency: Buck's Ballpark

Coyotes coming off first Texas high school regional championship; now ready for UIL 4A Division I game against Decatur

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, TEXAS - It took a couple of seconds for Ziondre Williams to come up with an answer.

So Ziondre, do you see yourself as a difference maker for your team this season?

In the same manner as reading a blitz or seeing one of his receivers streak open down the field, the Anna sophomore quarterback was able to adjust on the fly and produce a well-spoken response.

“I don’t know,” Williams initially said at first. “I love my team, and that’s the reason I’m good.

“Competition is key; I love every one of my teammates and the defense has helped make me better and the offense makes the defense better. … They keep me going, they keep me motivated, so that’s what pushes me to go hard.”

There’s no question, however, that in his first season as the Coyotes’ starting signal-caller, Williams has guided Anna to new frontiers.

“He’s been a big part in our success for Anna for this season; he’s played a big part,” senior receiver Jacob Emmers said.

Last week, Williams threw three touchdown passes in a span of just under six minutes in the second quarter as the Coyotes broke open a close game and went on to defeat Stephenville, 41-21, in the Class 4A Division I Region II championship game.

Anna downs Stephenville in Texas high school football playoffs

It was the first regional championship in the history of Anna’s program.

“It was amazing; our defense did their job, they did what they needed to do, so we could go back in there and score and respond with a touchdown,” Williams said.

On the season, Williams has thrown for 2,548 yards and 36 TDs. But there’s more to the Coyotes’ offense.

There’s a talented array of receivers, headed up by seniors Emmers and Sean Steens.

Steens leads the Coyotes with 70 catches, followed by Emmers with 44. They also have 18 TDs between them, and both had a hand in Williams’ three-TD second-quarter performance against Stephenville.

With Anna trailing 14-10, Williams threw a screen pass to Steens, who broke a couple of tackles before finishing off a 13-yard TD to put the Coyotes in front to stay.

Then, on Anna’s next offensive play after getting the ball back following a punt from just past midfield, Williams went deep.

He saw Emmers sprinting downfield, with a Stephenville defensive back matching him stride for stride. The ball landed toward the end zone where Emmers, despite giving up a size advantage to the defender, was able to stretch out one of his hands to come up with the catch.

“It was a real good ball and a real good catch. … It was a real good catch and I liked it,” Williams said. “It was a 50-50 ball and he caught it one-handed, that was a pretty good catch. And it was against a tall corner, so that was a good catch by Jacob.”

But Emmers also quickly credited Williams for throwing the ball where it needed to be at the precise location.

“I give all the props to my QB,” Emmers said. “He threw it in a spot to where I could make a play on the ball and I just give him all the props to that.”

Then right before halftime, Anna drove deep into Stephenville territory and Williams and Emmers connected again. This time, it was a brilliant fade route, with Emmers all alone in the left corner of the end zone for a catch that put the Coyotes up, 31-14.

“We just made plays for him whenever he gave us the ball in the open field, and made tough catches throughout the whole season and through the playoffs as well,” Emmers said.

Emmers has received attention from several college suitors, and earlier this season, paid visits to Oklahoma State, Louisiana Tech, North Texas and UTSA.

“I’ve got several looking at me right now," he said. "Oklahoma State, Tulsa, Cal, Texas State, Oregon State and (North Texas). There’s a couple of others, but that’s a lot.”

Anna wide receiver Jacob Emmers 

Williams has already received heavy interest from TCU, and has attended a pair of Horned Frog games earlier this season. He was also sporting a towel with the TCU logo emblazoned on it during last week's win.

As far as other schools on his radar, Williams remarked there has been minimal interest, but believes more are on the way.

“Not right now, but they’re coming because football season for a lot of the colleges just ended so I’m going to a lot (of camps) this summer," he said.

Anna has also gotten a lift in its running game from junior tailback Edward Chumley, who has nearly 900 yards and 11 TDs. In last week’s win, he had 102 yards and scored the team’s first TD.

Then after giving up a 15-play drive to start the second half, the Coyotes’ defense finished off things. They allowed no more points the rest of the way and got a couple of huge takeaways, including a game-clinching pick-six in the final seconds from Jadun Mason-Davis.

A much better feeling this round for the Coyotes than the fourth round last season, when their season was stopped short by China Spring, which went on to win the championship. Anna avenged that loss to China Springs this season in the area round.

For Emmers, one of 25 seniors on Anna’s roster, the team’s playoff run has also been fueled by a sense of urgency.

“We just had to practice harder and we were just locked in this year,” Emmers said. “It’s also a lot of our last year, so we just had to leave it all on the field for our last year.”

Anna (13-1) now has another rematch coming up, this against Decatur, a team the Coyotes beat, 37-30, on Week 1 four months ago. The state semifinal game takes place Friday night in Denton.

Different circumstances this time, with the winner of this game going on to play at AT&T Stadium next week for a state title.

“We’re just going to have to stay focused and locked in so we can go beat Decatur and go to state the next game, and hopefully win it all,” Emmers said.

And maybe make the claim that there are plenty of difference makers on what is shaping up to be a history-making postseason run for the Coyotes.

“It’s meant a lot to me,” Williams said. “The season’s just kept me up and kept me going, and I worked all offseason for this and it’s all paid off, so I hope we can keep this thing going until state.”

-- Buck Ringgold | buck@scorebooklive.com | @SBLiveTX