Thursday, May 2, 2024
When Landon Williamson was in middle school, he remembers watching his older brother play on Milford High School’s varsity team when they appeared in the UIL Football State Championships in 2018.
Now, as a senior at Oglesby High School and the receiver and cornerback of the varsity football team, Williamson said it was a surreal experience to follow in his brother’s footsteps and also play at AT&T Stadium.
“I wasn't even in high school then, but I remember experiencing that,” Williamson said. “I was like, man, I can't wait to play there.”
On Dec. 13, the Oglesby Tigers set off to end a historic season in their first ever state title game in Arlington. After ending the 2023 season at 13-1, the Tigers walked away as runner-up in the 1A, Division II state championship game.
“I felt relieved at that moment because right when I got here, the expectations were already set, and we just kept on reaching our goals each game,” Williamson said. “Once we finally got there, we realized we made it, but we didn't make it without all the hard work we put in.”
After completing his first year on the team, Williamson said his biggest takeaway was not to take the whole experience for granted.
“We had fought hard to get there, so I just felt like every single game, we realized this wasn't the last one. We could keep on going (and) we could keep on making it to AT&T Stadium. And we did,” Williamson said.
Williamson graduates in the spring and plans to continue playing football in college.
“I built a family when I came here and I feel like every single week we came closer and closer to each other, and I’m just really grateful for everything that happened this season, no matter how it turned out,” Williamson said.
Coach Jeb Dixon contributes the success of the season to the team’s work ethic, emphasizing that each player puts in the work in and outside of practice. Since many of the players also play for other varsity teams year around, including basketball and track, Dixon said he’ll find them lifting in the weight room even during the summer.
“They find time to do what they need to do, and I do think that's probably what I would give most of the success to,” Dixon said.
Dixon said the team also learned how to face adversity throughout this season.
“There were several games where we may have had somebody get injured, or we played without a starter or whatever, and others stepped up and played a different role than they were used to playing,” Dixon said.
Dixon led a state championship game as an assistant coach for Jonesboro in 2016, but this was his first season to appear in the state championship as a head coach.
“I do think there were moments that were too big for us, but at the same time, I think that the kids enjoyed it,” Dixon said. “It's a dream come true for these kids, because a lot of these kids will never get to experience anything like that in their life again.”
Superintendent Shane Webb said it was exciting to witness the support from not only the Oglesby community, but also from the Central Texas area.
“Having good programs, extracurriculars, it just creates a great atmosphere within your school system, which bleeds over into your community,” Webb said.
Webb hopes to continue building a well-rounded school system where students are involved and successful in both extracurricular and academic programs.
“My hope is that we continue what we've done so far this first semester of the school year, and we continue to grow from that, and we try to improve all of our programs to be the best that they can be,” Webb said.
Looking to the future, the team hopes for another run at the state championship in 2024.
“I think the biggest thing is just the kids and how hard they work and how hard they play,” Dixon said. “They brought a community together.”
