WEST PALM BEACH – Evan Williams, a 2006 Forest Hill graduate and longtime Falcons assistant coach, didn’t want to see the program become a laughingstock again, like it was during his playing days.
Williams was a safety/linebacker on a couple of downtrodden Forest Hill teams. There was a span between 2005 to 2012 the Falcons won just four games in eight years.
When Garret Necaise stepped down this summer, Williams stepped up, becoming Forest hill’s fourth coach in six seasons.
“Because of my history here, I bleed the school colors, red, white, navy,’’ Willaims said. “I felt I would be the best guy for the job. Mostly because of the love I have for the school. There are a lot of new faces here. I was afraid of what would happen if I didn’t step up.’’
As a defensive back, Williams played two seasons at Forest Hill and two at Palm Beach Gardens with his family bouncing around. Williams’ senior year at Forest Hill was a two-win season.
“I didn’t want our program to go back to what I call the dark ages,” said the 37-year-old Williams, who played college ball at Lindenwood University in Missouri. “When I was a player in the 2000s, anytime Forest Hill won a game, people would make fun of it. I didn’t want to go back to when we were expected to lose every game every season. That was my fear.
“That’s why I stepped up. It’s not so much I wanted to be a head coach. If I didn’t do it, I felt something terrible would happen to the team I love.’’
Nothing terrible has happened so far for the Falcons, who are 2-3 and plays their Homecoming game Thursday, Sept. 25, hosting John Carroll of Fort Pierce.
It serves as the district opener for the Falcons, who have wins over John I. Leonard and Olympic Heights and battled Boca Raton last Friday into the fourth quarter of a 28-12 loss.
Williams, an English teacher at the school, started with the football program in 2013 under Jude Blessington, who lives in Atlanta now but visited Williams last week when in town.
After working for all those coaches, Williams said the adjustment to head was easy. He was a junior varsity head coach for six years, saying his dealings with paperwork, parents and game plans got him ready. He once had 82 players try out for JV one season when the program was doing respectably well.
Even moreso, in his first season under Necaise, in 2023, Williams was one of just two assistants on staff. That experience had a major influence on his readiness.
“That was insane but that prepared me, coaching all the positions on defense,’’ Williams said. “Your voice had to grow. That prepared me for this position.’’
Forest Hill lost 22 seniors and plays 17 new starters. “Where is the program now compared to my goal?,’’ Williams asked. “I knew it would be a rebuilding season because of the youth on the team. Our junior varsity was 0-5 last year and most of our starters now were starters then.
“I knew we had a tall task, but what I saw in the summer, getting bigger, stronger faster, smarter, I knew we’d compete and that’s what I’m seeing this year in games,’’ Williams said. “Our kids are fighting. We’re ascending.’’
When Blessington left after 8 seasons, Williams didn’t put his hat in the ring. The offensive coordinator Jim Basford took over in 2021 and won a district title. Basford rode off to Texas after that historic season. Again, Williams didn’t apply and Necaise was promoted from offensive coordinator for the 2022 season.
Williams decided he had enough of football coaching. He already was Forest Hill’s track coach and his English-teaching responsibilities grew in stature.
His football absence didn’t last long. By spring football of 2023, Williams was back to run Necaise’s defense. ‘
“I was teaching seniors and every day they were talking about football and the game,’’ Williams said. “I began to miss it. I do love literature, but it left a void in my life. And you start talking X’s and O’s with the kids and it’s, man, I want to be out there. I realized how much I loved coaching.”
Forest Hill is running a Wing T option with a lefty running quarterback in Rhys McBryan and a speedy tailback in Jamarkus Emerson, who owns a state weightlifting record.
Forest Hill’s star defensive player is junior middle linebacker Joseph Floreal, who attends Dreyfoos School of The Arts, which doesn’t have a football team. For the past three years, Dreyfoos sends its football wannabes to Forest Hill and five are in the Falcons’ program.
Williams had a hand in that alliance since Dreyfoos had to come to Forest Hill to share its track facilities. “To me, they’re family,” Willaims said of the Dreyfoos players.
If there was trepidation about the top gig, it’s over now.
“My thoughts were never on being the head football coach,’’ Williams said. “I was the head track coach and assistant football. I was having fun. But when it happened, it was another task – a challenge I was willing to take on. Time to hit the drawing board and see what I can do. Now the longer I’ve been in the role, the more I’ve come to really enjoy it, man. It’s been awesome. I love it.”
Forest Hill AD David Grad said Williams was “the perfect choice.”
“Not only is he an alumni who understands the pride and tradition of our school, but he is also a passionate teacher of the game and of life,” Grad said. “He pushes every student-athlete to be their very best, never allowing them to quit on themselves or their team. His belief in each player, his drive to bring out their full potential, and his commitment to excellence make him the ideal leader for our program.”
Williams, who lives minutes from campus, most relishes the granular improvement of the players. “The thing I love most about coaching isn’t the X’s and O’s,’’ Williams said. “It’s being able to see them develop over the years. I ran into one of the first kids I coached and he’s 30 years old. Which is crazy. And I was able to hire a kid I coached 12 years ago. (Jonathan Jones). He’s on my staff now.’’
Forest Hill had its share of winning seasons during the Blessington Era but has been far from elite since 2021’s district title. It’s not a shocker to Williams because of the coaching “instability.”
“When you have four coaches in six years, you’re not going to be good,’’ Williams said. “When it’s a coaching revolving door, you’re setting yourself up for failure.’’
Stability, he says, is here. “I want to coach until I retire,’’ Williams said.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Forest Hill football coach’s plan to keep team out of ‘dark ages’
