The performance was cathartic for Lake Central senior running back Xavier Williams.
Wearing a brace on his left knee, the Iowa commit rushed for a season-high 186 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries in a Class 6A sectional opener against Portage last week.
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The 6-foot, 220-pound Williams had missed the last two games and five of the Indians’ 10 games overall after suffering a partial tear of his left ACL in Week 2.
“It’s definitely been a different season,” he said. “I’ve never dealt with a serious injury before. I’ve never missed a game in high school until this year. So it’s been tough. I feel like I’ve been playing catch-up all season just to get back to where I was.
“I’ve been feeling great lately. If I didn’t feel like I could perform the way I wanted to, I wouldn’t have played.”
Indeed, Williams has run for 669 yards and eight TDs in his five games.
After getting hurt against Providence Catholic, he sat out three games before returning against Michigan City in Week 6. He tweaked his knee against Chesterton the following week during the only game in which he has rushed for less than 107 yards. He gained at least 152 in each of his three full games.
Williams, who ran for 966 yards and eight TDs as a sophomore, emerged as a bona fide star last season. He ran for 1,451 yards and 13 TDs and earned a spot on the Indiana Football Coaches Association’s Class 6A junior all-state team.
Williams followed up by averaging 8.2 points in basketball.
“He’s a great kid,” Lake Central coach Rick Good said. “It’s just unfortunate the way his year went. He was highly touted coming in. He had a great offseason. He did everything we asked him to do. He played basketball and did great. He ended up getting those offers in the early spring. He was healthy all summer.
“Then he ends up banging up his knee against Providence, and he hasn’t had the numbers everyone in the area was kind of hoping and expecting. But when he’s been in there, he’s been effective.”
Lake Central’s victory against Portage was also the team’s first game since the death of offensive line coach Pat Damron, the father of senior center Brogan Damron. Pat Damron died Oct. 15, just two days after Lake Central lost its regular-season finale against Valparaiso.
“It’s definitely tough,” Williams said. “He lived in my neighborhood, like a block away. It’s definitely an adjustment for everyone. Just playing for his legacy, that helps a lot too. He’d want us to go out there and keep playing and not to be sad. He definitely was a great guy. Everyone’s doing as well as they can. It just sucks.
“Brogan is one of my best friends. I’ve known him a long time. I’m close with the family. I eat dinner at their house sometimes, spend the night after games sometimes.”
Senior tight end Owen Denny also lives in that neighborhood.
“It’s been rough,” Denny said. “It was shocking. It’s brought the team even closer. It’s motivation because we know he’d want us to go out and play as hard as we can in his honor.
“Something we’ve been preaching is for us just to execute and show we’re better than what we’ve shown for a lot of the year. We just want to make sure we work even harder.”
Good, who is in his third season at Lake Central, called the win against Portage “bittersweet.” He recalled Pat Damron was the first person to welcome him to Lake Central. He also recalled having many coaches meetings in the Damron family’s garage.
Pat Damron, who was in his sixth season with the Indians, was the lone holdover from the previous staff.
“He was a heck of a coach and an even better guy,” Good said. “He most definitely is missed.
“With ‘X,’ you’re talking about one of his best friends’ dad, a guy who’s driven him to practice, a guy who’s been in the neighborhood. Their neighborhood gang has been tight since they were really little, and Pat Damron was kind of the pied piper of the football kids in that neighborhood. So ‘X’ has a lot still left with these guys. He’s played with these guys since they were in middle school together. Everyone’s just looking to get as many weeks together as we can.”
In order to extend its season, Lake Central (5-5) faces a major challenge against Crown Point (10-0) in the sectional final on Friday. The Indians, who have matched their most wins since 2015 and are seeking their first sectional title since 2013, have dropped 10 straight in the series against the Bulldogs, last winning in 2015. That streak includes a 38-12 loss on Sept. 8, one of the games Williams missed.
“It was going to be a big game regardless, but I’m definitely excited to play because I didn’t get to play them the first time in Week 4,” Williams said. “And just the atmosphere, Lake Central vs. Crown Point rivalry game, in a sectional championship game — that should be really fun.”
Denny said he hopes Williams can be a difference-maker against the Bulldogs.
“He’s our workhorse,” Denny said. “He’s been a key player for the past few years. He’s our team leader, and he just brings the energy. Having someone like that, someone you know you can trust to make a big play, or on short yardage you know he’s going to get the yardage no matter what, he’s just such a big piece of our offense and our team in general.”
Williams, who said he won’t need surgery on his knee, plans to sign his national letter of intent with Iowa next month. He announced his commitment to the Hawkeyes on April 15, a little more than two weeks after he received an offer.
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“They checked all the boxes,” Williams said. “I didn’t see a need to wait.”
Neither did Good.
“I love him,” Good said. “I’ve been coaching 18 years, and he’s the best combination of kid and talent I’ve ever had. He’s unbelievable as far as a kid goes. He’s the best, just awesome.
“He’s just a fantastic kid. I’ll root for him all day, every day. Everybody should be rooting for that kid. That’s the kind of kid you want to root for.”
Good also said Williams, who described himself as “just an average guy outside of football,” has the kind of personality that allows him to be “good friends with everybody.” Even as Williams’ profile continued to rise, his closest circle of friends didn’t change.
“Those are his guys,” Good said. “They respect the hell out of him. They love him. He’s just one of them.
“Even if he goes the first day to Iowa, and they say, ‘You can’t play for us,’ he’ll be a great accountant, a great pilot, whatever he’s going to become, because he’s just a really great kid.”
Good paused, then said, “But he’s going to play. Plus, on draft day, I’d like to be wearing a hat too.”