How did Dorrian Williams get Millwood basketball rolling in first season?

Dorrian Williams couldn't help but daydream as he awaited his home coaching debut at Millwood in January.

Fond memories from his time as an All-State player at Douglass began to jog his mind. The atmosphere. The tradition. The culture. All were key elements Williams cherished while donning the orange and black.

As he ran out of the locker room onto the court for the first time, Williams became nostalgic. The same feeling he coveted returned while gazing upon the raucous Millwood faithful.

"I've always admired the environment Millwood has from afar — it's no different than what I grew accustomed to at Douglass," Williams said after fifth-ranked Millwood's 92-63 regional win over Casady on Saturday.

"So when it came time to accept the coaching job here, it felt like the perfect opportunity. I've coached a few of these guys since they were in fifth grade, so a lot of them trust that I have their best interests at heart. Ultimately, that's what this is all about."

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That same trust has won over the Falcons' locker room in Williams' inaugural season as head coach.

In his first-ever regional championship victory, the seniors stepped up to the plate to finish the job. The high motor of guard Xon Williams was apparent on Saturday as he scored 18 points while adding five steals in the win.

Xon felt nearly invisible to opposing Casady ball handlers, swiftly swooping in like a glove for takeaways when they least expected him to.

"It was really our defense that separated us from them for the whole game," Dorrian Williams said. "We've all been locked in defensively over the last few weeks, so being prepared to defend helps get our scoring rolling every night."

Xon has served as the team's vocal leader for the duration of the season. However, his presence wasn't always anticipated in 2024.

Once former coach Mike Jeffries left Millwood (17-8) for Putnam City North following the Falcons' back-to-back Class 3A state titles, Xon was still determining if he wanted to spend his final season at Millwood. He began to mull his options as the turbulent future became unclear.

But after hearing that his childhood mentor Dorrian Williams was hired as the Falcons' new head coach, the decision to stay didn't come with any regret.

"Coach Williams texted me this summer before he got the job saying that he may get it, and from there, I knew I was staying," Xon Williams said.

"I've loved playing for Coach because he really understands us and knows how to win, having been in our shoes before. He's like the ultimate player-coach."

Before taking over at Millwood in June, Dorrian Williams served as an assistant at his alma mater, Douglass, on Steven Alexander's coaching staff. Thanks to his prominent playing days, his name is held in high regard amongst the Oklahoma high school basketball community.

Williams spearheaded the Trojans to back-to-back 4A state titles in 2010 and 2011 at point guard. Then he went on to spend five seasons at Missouri State, where he totaled 663 points and 373 assists through 112 games.

After winning state titles as a player and coach at Douglass, he's driven to bring a third consecutive 3A state title to Millwood.

"Before anything, the main thing I want to accomplish here is making sure our kids get an opportunity to go to college," Williams said.

"Basketball is a tool we use to teach young guys how to become men. And that's the most important part of all of this — just continuing to be a good influence. I mainly want to help them along the journey of life. That's the biggest impact I look to have as a coach and what I strive to be for them every single day."

Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at jdavis@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @jdavis34_. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma HS basketball: Millwood over Casady for 3A regional title