Quarterbacks do what their coaches ask, and Troy Williams of Harbor City Narbonne was asked to focus more on winning than statistics. The result was that he helped deliver the best season in school history.
Williams passed for 2,886 yards and 39 touchdowns with six interceptions in leading the Gauchos to a 14-1 record, their second consecutive City Section Division I championship and a CIF state championship regional bowl game.
He has been selected The Times' back of the year.
"I learned I didn't have to make every play but to control the game," Williams said.
Added Coach Manuel Douglas: "Last year, he was a gunslinger. This year, we wanted him to become more of a game manager. It helped us tremendously. He made better decisions. He didn't have to take a game over."
Williams, set to attend the University of Washington and play quarterback, established himself as "the best ever to play that position from Narbonne," Douglas said.
In a 41-34 bowl loss to Corona Centennial, Williams passed for 367 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 105 yards. It was a memorable final game for a player who made a big difference in City Section football.
—Eric Sondheimer
