Athlete Spotlight

Griffon Williams is a senior at Madill High School and will be graduating May 2021. He is also an A+ athlete. He is a well-diversified athlete and no stranger to receiving awards for his hard work and dedication. Williams, also known by Griff by his peers and those close to him, is involved in wrestling, football, and track. Along with sports, he is also a member of the National Honor Society and Student Council, not to mention the Madill High School December 2020 Student of the Month.

Williams started wrestling his Kindergarten year of school, although he did not compete in tournaments until his second year of wrestling. In his career, he has won OKWA Novice State Champion for Division II Heavyweights, he also won Junior Novice Championship for Division II Heavyweight that year.

His middle school wrestling career highlight was winning Midwestern Conference Championship at 200 pounds. OKWA and OKUSA WRESTLING were all youth wrestling tournaments not in conjunction with the school.

In 2019, he won 4A Regional Champion at 285 pounds and placed 4th at 4A state, he won OKUSA WRESTLING Division V Heavyweight Champion, and he was also named Best of the Arbuckles for wrestling that year, as well.

This season has been no different for the athlete. He was the Midwestern Conference 285-pound Champion, and he placed 2nd at 4A Regionals for 285, and placed 3rd at 4A State. The last accolade he achieved while battling through an arm injury he sustained during the Championship match at Regionals against the Blanchard Heavyweight.

Along with wrestling, football and track have been a big part of his life; especially the last four years of high school. He has been a fouryear starter for football and a thrower for the track team. In football this year, he was recognized as All District O-Line and a pre-season All State Prospect.

Coach Chris Turrobiates shared his admiration for the athlete and said he is an all-around good guy.

“Griff came out this year with one focus on his mind and that was to win a state title. Our coaches pushed him every day and he rolled with the punches,” Turrobiates said. “From the weight room to the wrestling room, Griff achieved something that many are not able to do. His senior year [he] came out and lost a quarter finals match at the State tournament and bounced back from a lifelong goal of wanting to win a state title to placing third. He has matured in so many ways other than wrestling, he has become a great young man and has a bright future.”

Williams has big plans after high school starting with attending Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant. Williams said he wants to become a coach and secondary school teacher. He said he feels like he has been called to come back to Madill to coach, focusing on the wrestling and football program.

Williams said he has a lot of love and appreciation for his coaches.

“I’d like to thank them for the opportunity for believing in me,” Williams said. “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to wear the black and gold and represent our school and for always believing in me no matter what the circumstances were.”

He said quite a bit of credit for his achievements belong to those that helped him along the way.

“I would like to thank the wrestling alumni, especially the high school wrestlers that welcomed me onto the mats during practice when I was just a middle schooler,” he said.

He said kudos go out to Rio Zamora, Judge Hartin, Paul Magness, Will Shelby, Tyler Ramirez, Damian Ramirez, Ace McHatton, Riley McDaniel, Sage Salyer, Austin Williams, Moises Ibarra, John Venable, Jacob Massey and many others who have helped shape him into the wrestler he is today

Williams said his favorite memories of high school sports was just one main thing.

“Winning,” he said with a smile. He added that he also enjoyed listening to the crowd roar at the home duals when he would win a match.

Coach Sisco, who was his football and wrestling coach, said this year has been just as rewarding to him as it has to Williams.

“I have to be with Griff more than any other coach this year and to watch his progress this year alone has been very rewarding for me,” Sisco said. “He brought in and got noticeably stronger during wrestling season and it has been an honor to be able to watch him grow throughout the year to not only become a better athlete but watching him become a great young man.”

Like his other coaches, Coach Love has been there with him throughout his high school career and has seen his growth. Love spoke highly of Williams.

“He has great courage and adversity,” Love said. “When you look at a young man with the injuries that he has had throughout his career and to come back like he has several times and to place third in State your senior year.”

“There are only two people in each weight class who can say they won their last match,” Love added. “It’s the person who’s won first and the person who’s won third. And we are so proud to be in that company cause not many walk off as a winner.”