STILLWATER, Okla. — Typically, Stillwater High School junior King Williams is the one knocking down passes from opposing quarterbacks as a safety on the Pioneers’ defense.

Friday against Owasso, Williams was the one completing those passes out of the Wildcat formation while nearly leading Stillwater to an upset of the Class 6A No. 3 Rams.

Williams completed 10 of 19 passes for 116 yards — including a 48-yard touchdown strike to cousin Darian Williams. He also carried the ball 21 times for 178 yards and two touchdowns as Stillwater fell 49-23 in the season finale.

“I don’t really see myself as a dual threat (quarterback) because I can’t throw that good,” said Williams, who was the junior varsity quarterback last season. “I’ve never really practiced it because (coach Tucker Barnard) didn’t expect me to pass it at all in the game. But it felt good knowing that I was able to put up those kind of numbers and help my team out.”

Williams may not have expected to reach triple digits in either category, but those numbers didn’t surprise Barnard — despite the fact that Stillwater faced one of the more stout defenses in Class 6A.

“He played really well and we felt like our offensive line played really well, especially in the first half,” Barnard said. “It was a little bit of a wrinkle for us to spend that much in that set. ... He made some decent throws and a couple of receivers made some nice catches. King is a really talented athlete. He has not spent a lot of time playing quarterback and he probably won’t ever spend a lot of time playing quarterback, but he’s a good athlete and he showed us he’s a guy that probably should have the ball in his hands.”

Whether it’s lofting the ball down field, slicing through the defense or even returning punts, Williams showed that he has the speed and ability to make something out of nothing in a hurry. That ability to make plays has caused headaches for not only opponents, but also the Stillwater coaching staff.

“It makes it difficult for us,” Barnard said. “We have to try to figure out what we’re going to do with him and how we’re going to keep him fresh. He doesn’t want to come off the field. He wants to play every down, and that’s something we’ll have to consider next year — whether or not we ever do take him off the field. ... He does a lot of things, so there will be some decisions made next year on how we want to use him.”

Even after torching Owasso’s defense for over 300 yards of total offense — including two kickoff returns for 30 yards and a punt return for 5 yards — Williams said his loyalties still lie with the defense. Williams had four tackles and a key interception right before halftime against Owasso that helped the Pioneers stay within a touchdown.

“That’s tough, but I’d probably say I like defense a little bit more,” Williams said. “I’m able to hit and go get the ball and make a turnover.”

“King has been one of our best defensive players all season,” Barnard said. “He’s certainly a playmaker. I know he led us in turnovers and he might have led us in caused fumbles. He’s just a really dynamic football player.”

Williams may have a preference for playing defense, but the junior won’t rule out dropping back for a pass or out of the Wildcat formation next season.

“Oh yeah, I think we’ll have a couple of plays designed for me like that,” Williams said. “I still have a lot of improvement to make, but I know the coaches are already trying to figure out ways to throw in some of those wrinkles into the gameplan.”

Honorable mention

Bo Frohock, cross country

Alex Thomas, swimming

Francisco Ochoa, swimming

Darian Williams, football