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Muskogee Phoenix Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021
Pigskin Preview
New Haskell coach mixes freedom with responsibility By Mike Kays mkays@muskogeephoenix.com Phil McWilliams’ approach to his first head coaching job, at least in football, leans on the administrative approach he learned through responsibilities as a head soccer coach at Hilldale, or multiple years as football assistant under three different head coaches there. Much of that has approach has been spent administering his McWilliams program through what he said was probably the most 7-on-7 camps of anyone in the state in addition to team camps and other Westmoreland summer opportunities, creating opportunities for the kids to show what they have. The rest has been up to the kids. “The first thing Gonzalez I told them was if you’ll come to work, we’ll do something pretty special and try and make this a great place to play football. And really, it’s been them buying in to what we’re doing,” said McWilliams. “I haven’t even had to say something about buy-in this summer. They were ready to do it and hungry for somebody to lead them, and I think my leadership style fits what they want to do. I’m not a rah-rah, blow smoke type of guy. I just tell them what they need to do and let them go do it.”
The approach, said left tackle Junior Faul, is a welcome change. “If I can be completely honest, last year I think (the struggles) had mostly to do with the coaching staff if I can put it that way,” he said. “I feel like there’s a lot of talent within our school. I feel that a certain aspect of people who were just there at the moment didn’t know how to harness that and get to these players. Us not being a big school, a lot of the players have to work to help the families and (coaches) weren’t just very flexible around it. Mendoza “(McWilliams), he puts it on us to take the team in the direction we want it. And we haven’t gone anywhere but straight up.” And Faul is Faul more than willing to be at the forefront of shaping that, even as he is one who juggles a lot of those responsibilities at home, work, and at school. “(McWilliams) putting that on us makes us need to mature and act older,” he said. “I feel like a lot of our previous seniors have been more, I don’t want to say childish, but not stepping up and being at that level. Having that strong mentality of being a leader is very important. It puts it on us as role models to get the most out of the younger guys.” Even quarterback Brannon Westmoreland finds comfort in the approach. “Coach will come into the
JOHN HASLER/Special to the Phoenix
Former Hilldale assistant Phil McWilliams makes his head coaching debut at Haskell this season.
HASKELL HAYMAKERS
Record in 2020: 1-5 Head coach: Phil McWilliams, 1st year Staff: Phil McWilliams, offensive coordinator, quarterbacks, offensive line and inside linebackers; Tony Springer, defensive coordinator, defensive backs, running backs; Paul McCrary, wide receivers, outside linebackers; Mike Jones, defensive line, offensive line, tight ends. Returning starters (7 offense, 8 defense, 3 specialists): Fernando Gonzalez, WR/DB, 5-11, 157, Sr.; Marcus Clark, CB/K, 6-1, 170, Sr.; J.D. Powell, LB, 5-8, 140, Sr.; Jason Mendoza, LB, 5-5, 151, Sr.; Lane Mann, WR, 6-2, 162, Jr.; Brannon Westmoreland, QB/K, 6-3, 173, Jr.; Andrew Williamson, C, 6-1, 168, Jr.; Jon Michael McClain, RT, 6-3, 243; Junior Faul, LT, 6-1, 205, Jr.; Hunter Powell, LB, 6-0, 151, So.; Briar Payne, LG, 6-3, 265, So. Others to watch: Marcus Clark, WR; DeShaun Clark, WR; Mann, CB/S; McClain, DE; Faul, DE; Payne, NG; Lucas King, WR/CB, 5-8, 144, So.; Isaiah Timmreck, TB, 6-0, 180, So. huddle in 7 on 7 and say ‘what do you want to call, what do you want to run,’ and we go with that,” Westmoreland said. “To have a coach with that kind of confidence in you to take that kind of responsibility is good.” McWilliams indeed has con-
fidence in his quarterback. “We’ve got guys 40, 50 yards down the field running under the ball he’s throwing to them,” he said. “Brannon’s made some huge strides. A lot of it is the experience that he didn’t have in the off-season last year.”
Haskell was 1-5 last year and suspended the season in late October, basing that decision on COVID-19 numbers in the county. The Haymakers also had two of their non-district games knocked out by the pandemic after losing in its opener 38-0. That’s all in the past now, flushed out by the new attitude. Westmoreland is spending extra time connecting with receivers after practice — guys like Fernando Gonzales, a two-way performer who if you listen to McWilliams, will need to be in top shape based on his game-long usage. Both Gonzales and Westmoreland played baseball as well, on a team that had just nine players all season and reached the regional semifinals. “Just being out there competing, we have good chemistry and a connection,” Gonzales said. While some have to juggle various responsibilities, there hasn’t been a numbers problem at the amped-up summer activity the new coach has instilled. “We’ve had kids coming out all summer a little at a time. Building trust between the coaches and players has kind of been one of those challenges, and the kids out here talking to others about what it’s like has really helped get the other kids out,” McWilliams said. “A lot of our kids didn’t get the spring and part of the summer, but I think we’ve got enough bodies to go out in the fall and have some good preparation in place.” One thing is certain — it’ll be player-owned.
