No matter the time of year, you can probably find Shane Williams excelling in a sport.
The Mt. Vernon High School senior is the definition of a multi-sport athlete. Williams, named a first team all-state defensive back in football last fall, has also earned all-state distinctions in basketball and track.
His current focus is on the basketball court, where he’s trying to help the Mountaineers win their fourth consecutive district title. Mt. Vernon also reached the Class 3 state final four in Williams’ freshman and junior seasons.
"He's a great teammate and he feels very responsible for everything that happens on the court," said Mt. Vernon coach Skip Brock. "Probably the best way to describe the type of basketball player he is, in both his freshman and sophomore years he made game-winning baskets for the district championship. For a freshman to do it and then do it two years in a row, you look at the teams he's been a part of, it says a whole lot about the type of athlete he is."
Williams has helped the Mountaineers become a model of consistency in area basketball over the last few years, and he wants that legacy to carry on after he graduates.
"We take a lot of pride in all our programs here," Williams said. "And Mt. Vernon basketball has a great past and a great future. It's important for us seniors to make sure the (underclassmen) are ready to lead the program when they're seniors."
Shane Williams is the latest in the family to enjoy basketball success at Mt. Vernon. His older sister Kenzie was a two-time first team all-state player at Mt. Vernon and won a state title in 2011. She’s now playing at Missouri State.
And yes, the two grew up playing lots of basketball against each other.
"She's very talented and she's a really good shooter. She's always been able to outshoot me," said Shane Williams, adding that Kenzie would likely win a game of H-O-R-S-E. "We go way back. We've played basketball our wholes live against each other and we'd get frustrated with losing because we're both competitors."
Shane Williams said he’d prefer to play college football. He’s looking at several area Division II schools, and has official visits set up with Northwest Missouri State and Missouri Southern State.
"That's been a dream of mine since I was really young," he said. "Getting a chance to accomplish it would be tremendous."
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