MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Westosha lefty drained 3s on court, sped past DBs on field

Tre Williams has become a team leader for the first-place Falcons during his senior season (Earlene Frederick/The Report).

By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer

When he is not making plays on the gridiron, Westosha Central High School senior Tre Williams is setting the tone for the reigning Southern Lakes Conference champion boys basketball team.

Williams, who capped off his football career playing multiple skill positions, has continued to make plays for the boys basketball squad.

For his team efforts playing multiple sports, the 5-foot-10 Williams has been named the 2016 Westosha Report Male Athlete of the Year, selected by Report Staff.

Williams, a starting point guard, helped the Falcons to their first SLC boys basketball title since 1998 as a junior, when he produced 18 points per game, en route to first team all-conference honors.

Williams has picked up this season where he left off, leading the Falcons to a 4-0 conference record as of Jan. 6 and has compiled 16 points per game.

Williams, whose pre-game ritual is listening to music and praying, credits his family and a slew of coaches past and present for the success he has had.

Humble beginnings
“I have been involved with football and basketball since I was just a little baby,” Williams said as he recalled his childhood, when his father, Victor, introduced him to basketball.

“When I was two years old, my dad (Victor) first put a basketball in my hands.”

Three years later, influenced by his older brother, he took up football.

Since then, Williams played grade school basketball at Bristol Consolidated, which he attended from 2nd through 8th grade while playing for AAU squad RK Elite during his middle school years.

Following graduation from Bristol, he joined Wisconsin Soldiers and Wisconsin Playground Elite while he excelled in high school athletics at Westosha Central High School.

In transition
At Westosha Central, Williams balanced football and basketball, and acknowledged the transition between both sports is a challenge.

“Basketball shape and football shape are two different things, so you have to get back into the flow of the game and shoot a lot to get your shot back, because you aren’t used to shooting much,” said Williams, who noted there is only one week of rest between the fall and winter sports season.

The transition, however, does not seem to faze his efforts on the court, where he has produced memorable games throughout his high school career.

As a sophomore, Williams recalled his 16-point performance in the WIAA Division 2 regional contest against No. 1 seeded Waterford, in which the Falcons won to advance to the third round.

The following year, Williams had several highlights, including his career-high 34 points against cross-town rival Wilmot, a 22-point second half against Burlington and an SLC title.

“The feeling I had during last year’s conference run for the title was just the feeling of accomplishment,” said Williams, adding it has been a long-lived goal. “It took a lot of hard work that our team was willing to put in.”

On leadership
As his senior year progresses, Williams said the transition into the captain’s role has been flawless, pointing to last year.

“I don’t really think being a captain is anything different than last year,” said Williams. “I was the leader and point guard on the team last year, so I kind of already had an idea of what it was to be a real captain.”

“Having two big captains leave from last year, that taught me a lot about being a leader,” added Williams.

Like his predecessors, Williams hopes to lead by example on and off the court.

“I carry a lot of responsibilities, whether its mentoring to the younger players on our team, making sure we on time, make sure we watch film, and make sure we are in the right positions,” he said. “One of my main things is just to lead by example, so the kids who look up to me, know what it’s like to be a leader.”

However, his leadership started at home, where he credits his father and mother, Desiree, for his off-the-court success.

“They have always been there for me, whether it was support or driving me to tournaments out of state,” he said. “I credit my on-court successes to my dad, of course, for always working with me.”

Along with his parents, Williams attributes his teammates and coaches for helping him hone his craft of basketball.


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