Sofia Williams steps up for Trojans

Sofia Williams is a freshman role player for the Oak Ridge varsity girls' basketball team. Williams is a backup point guard that's asked to provide solid defense, handle the ball with limited turnovers and get the team in sync offensively and run the designed plays. Any scoring from her is bonus. In Saturday's Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship game, Williams stepped up and had the game of her season on the season's biggest stage. She played 21 minutes, probably close to double the norm. She scored seven points, a team-high five coming in the fourth quarter, and had three assists which played a huge role in Oak Ridge's 41-40 win over Folsom. "Sofia wasn't sure at the beginning of the season if she wanted to play varsity because she wasn't sure how much playing time she would get," Oak Ridge coach Steve White said. "We told her to stick it out and that we see her getting minutes on the court as our backup point guard. Now at the end of the year, she's really glad she decided to stay up on varsity. Her confidence and her belief in herself have grown tremendously. Saturday her performance was an integral part of our success. She's a competitor and is heady defensively and is a big benefit for us at point guard." Folsom Telegraph: What are your plans/hopes for after high school? Sofia Williams: My plans after high school are to attend a four-year university and play a college sport. FT: Would you like to play basketball in college? SW: I would love to have the opportunity to play basketball in college. FT: Do sports run in your family? SW: Yes, my mom played high school volleyball and my dad played football at UC Davis and is a former football coach at Oak Ridge. My brother is a junior at Oak Ridge and is on the varsity baseball team at Oak Ridge and has played baseball as well as football every year. FT: How long have you been playing basketball and how did you get your start in it? SW: I've been playing basketball since second grade, but I really started getting into the sport when my dad started sending me to trainings at a basketball training facility, Rockball. I currently still work with Coach Jay and Coach Joe from there. FT: Have you ever been involved on any other sports? SW: Yes. I played a lot of sports when I was younger, but ended up sticking with basketball and lacrosse. I play on a travel lacrosse team, Lakeside Lacrosse, and once basketball season is over, I will try out for the Oak Ridge lacrosse team. FT: What do you like about basketball? TH: I like the competitiveness and camaraderie of the team. FT: How has your freshman year gone? Are you happy with your role and how you've played? SW: My freshman year has been amazing. I have grown so much from being on varsity! I'm happy to contribute to the team in any way I can, whenever I can. This season, especially this past game, has taught me to always believe. FT: What have you enjoyed most about playing on your team? SW: We are like family. We can joke around with each other and have fun, but when it counts we trust each other and work together. FT: How meaningful was it for you to play so well in the section championship game? SW: I wanted this win for the seniors as well as the rest of the team and I decided not to be afraid and to just do whatever I could to help. Coach White would always quote Scott McCreery's song "5 More Minutes," saying that you never know when you will get a chance again, like what happened with COVID and how the older girls did not get a season because of it, and it stuck with me. FT: Who is the funniest person on your team and how does she make you laugh? SW: Everyone is really funny but the two funniest are Teagan and Ella. FT: What is your favorite class/subject in school? SW: Probably biology right now. FT: Favorite music and/or artist? SW: I like Childish Gambino and Mac Miller. FT: Favorite book or movie? SW: My favorite movie is Black Panther. FT: Favorite Food? SW: Sushi. FT: Do you have any pets? Tell us about them. SW: I have four pets. Two rescue cats and two dogs. I play basketball outside with one of my dogs, Gus. FT: Do you have any hobbies? What do you like to do in your free time? SW: I like to listen to music and read. FT: What inspires you in sports? SW: My trainers and coaches. FT: Is there a particular job or profession you'd like to have someday? SW: I'd love to do something in criminal justice. &emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;