More is less?

Justin Williams just doesn't buy that. His philosophy is to aim for more, expect more and when necessary, demand more.

"My parents want me to get the most tackles of everybody," said Williams.

More is better.

The senior Bremond Tigers' linebacker, named second-team all-state last season, does not overwhelm the opposition with his size, but he is quick and strong. He weighs 162 pounds. His coaches suggest that he stands 5-foot-9, but Williams insists he is 5-10.

Off the field, Williams' interests lie in agriculture.

"I'm in the shop welding and cutting," said Williams. "My dad does a lot of that, drilling for water wells. I've been around that since I was eight.

On the field, he's interested in drilling opponents.

"He's not a great big kid but he works hard in the weight room and he's extremely quick," Bremond coach Jerry "Slugger" Hamrick said. "He powerlifted at 162 pounds. He squats 460 or 470 pounds. He is just a little muscle."

As a sophomore, Williams was Bremond's leading tackler in the Tigers' run to the state championship game, registering 195 tackles (24 solos and 171 asssists) in the 15-game season.

"It's triggering and quickness, and my ability to read the plays" said Williams. "That has gotten better big time. You just have to get around it stay with it and get the hang of it."

But he was just a linebacker when he first broke through as a sophomore. Last year, in 13 games, Williams had 166 tackles (21 solos, 145 assists) with three fumble recoveries. With Williams at inside linebacker, the Tigers have a record of 23-5 over the last two years with seven shutouts.

He'll be counted on much more for his offensive skills this season, and Bremond uses a rotation at linebacker and running back with Justin Kinney and D. Ray Morgan.

"We have really swapped up our offensive players," Williams said. "I really like my quarterback (Johnathon White). We mixed up our offensive plays and I am going to have the ball a lot more."

More is better.

"It makes such a difference when you're playing just one way," Hamrick said. "As a junior and senior he has to play both ways, so he may not have as many tackles, but when it comes down to [crunch time], he will be on the field."

Still, the tackle numbers grow large each season because Williams goes after ball carriers with enthusiasm. He rarely misses much time on the field.

"Justin has been pretty much accident- and injury-free," Hamrick said. "He had a slight concussion in a playoff game against Milano, but was freed up to play pretty quickly. He's just one of these small-town kids, tougher than a wood-hauler and always ready to play."

It's not just about power. In track season he's a sprinter, running the 100 and 200 meters.

Former Bremond linebacker Michael Martinez took him under his wing during his sophomore season, and Williams is trying to follow that approach.

"He was a linebacker that gave me courage," said Williams, who says that competing against your teammates while encouraging them is easy to combine. "Coaches make a team better, but so do seniors. You need to teach them things so they can be better."

Bremond pushed three rounds into the playoffs last year.

"In Bremond, they expect us to go to the playoffs or higher," said Williams. "That's our tradition. We are thinking we are going to turn heads. We are trying to go to state."

Because more is better.