MORLEY -- Desmin Williams anticipates chills when he hears his name announced in the starting lineup for Thursday's Class 1 boys basketball state semifinal.

Williams is the lone Scott County Central starter who did not play significant minutes last season.

"I'm very excited for them to call my name," Williams said. "That feeling is just going to be amazing. I'm going to have those chills, but you know when you're playing the game and you're shaking it off and all that, the momentum is just going to be powerful."

Williams' story is one of perseverance and determination. He never saw much playing time during his first three years and didn't expect anything different as a senior. Then he grew about 6 inches over the summer, and everything changed. Now he's a 6-foot-2 starter for the Braves, who will try for the program's 13th state title and first since 1993.

"I always strived toward that goal to get some playing time, like last year," Williams said. "I never knew this would happen this year. ... Whatever they need me for, I'm here to work hard at it.

KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.comDesmond Williams' six-inch growth spurt in the last two years led to him being one of the dominant players for Scott County Central.

"This is a great opportunity for me. It's a great feeling to have and it makes me want to work even harder because I'm a starter now. I just have to work harder to prove to the people and my coach the reason why I came from a bench player to a starter."

Williams didn't play in the Braves' semifinal against Jefferson last year, and only saw two minutes in the third-place game against Fair Play. He struggles to put into words his excitement about going to the final four this year versus last year.

"It's just amazing for me, from being a bench player last year to see me as a starter going to the final four to win a state championship," he said. "It's just so much excitement. I'm overwhelmed. It's outrageous the way I feel right now, to win another state championship and do it for Scott Central, put us back on the map."

Braves coach Ronnie Cookson describes Williams' attitude about playing a different way.

"He's like a freshman playing this year," Cookson said. "I think he has plenty of room to improve. I think he will improve with age."

KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.comDonald Dixon, left, Desmin Williams, and Demarques McKeller watch a free throw head to the rim Monday evening, December 29, 2008, in the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament at the Show Me Center.

Junior point guard Bobby Hatchett said that while the added height helped Williams, he never stopped working hard. Williams caught Hatchett by surprise when they first saw each other over the summer.

"I was like, 'Man, Des is big,'" Hatchett said. "Coach was like, 'We're going to work him.' Since then people don't know. They sleep on him a lot. Even his friends don't really talk about him, but he works hard. He put in a lot of work. He stays a lot. Coach works with him a lot.

"He was willing to get better, though. You can tell, from coming sitting on the bench last and then coming back, he works hard. He works real hard."

Williams was willing to listen to criticism because he wanted to get better. He'd sat on the bench and wanted a chance to contribute on the court. So when Cookson told him he needed to change the way he played, Williams listened.

"He said, 'Des, that's how it's going to be this year. You need to be on the boards because that's how we're going to win ballgames,' with me on the boards," Williams said. "That's what I'm focused with right now. To win a state championship, that's all I'm focused on right now, rebounding."

It fell to Williams to fill the void left by the graduation of Caleb Johnson, who led the team with 215 rebounds last season.

"I'm very comfortable rebounding," Williams said. "But I have to work harder because I'm not as big as Caleb was. ... I can get to the boards even better than he could, I think. He was more stronger and physical, but I've got long arms. I can reach toward the ball more."

Williams has responded to the challenge by averaging 7.8 rebounds per game, second-best on the team behind Otto Porter's 11 per game. Porter appreciates the help in the battle for rebounds.

"He takes most of the pressure off me getting the rebounds," Porter said.

And Williams' nose for rebounds has caught the attention of his teammates.

"With Des, he's down there banging and all this," Hatchett said. "When we're out there freelancing, he's down there like banging, trying to block out three guys, big guys. So you've got to reward him. He moves and gets open when I drive or whatever, I'm going to pass him the ball. That's just me. He moving on the run, I give it to him just for the rebounding. It's a reward."

Williams doesn't see scoring as a priority, even though he's averaging 10 points a game and shooting 57 percent from the field. He has stepped up his scoring in the postseason, averaging 16.3 points over his last three games.

"I'm just the player who picks up the trash," he said. "I try to get my points last. Defense comes first more than anything. When I see them slacking, that's when I step in -- just score off the miss or tip-ins, the easy buckets like that. I'm just more a trash man."

Williams barely can wait to help his team continue its march toward a state title. Williams brings extra motivation because he wants to follow in the footsteps of his father, who played on Cookson's first state championship team in 1976.

"I just want to go up there and bring one back for the coach," Williams said. "He just always on me and I just want to bring one back for him, and also do it for my family. My dad graduated in 1976 and won his first championship. I'm here to put another banner on the wall, and I'm just here to do whatever they need to do."

Desmin's father, James, who is better known as Frog, missed last year's final four because he couldn't get the time off from work. He won't miss it this year.

Cookson refused to say which Williams, Frog or Desmin, was the better player.

"They're just completely different," Cookson said. "Des is a forward, Frog's a point guard. Frog was one of the better point guards we've had here in school. Des is sliding in at that forward and helping us out."

Frog wasn't as diplomatic. He played with Otto Porter's father, Otto, and Drew Thomas' father, Andrew, who goes by Ricky. Frog said the 1976 Braves team wouldn't struggle against the 2009 squad.

"They wouldn't have stood a chance against us," Frog said.

That doesn't mean Frog wants to take on his son now.

"He used to challenge me all the time," Frog said. "I used to school him and holler at him and fuss at him. He and me used to have at it. But he finally start coming around, wanting to play. I ain't really played him lately because when kids get up bigger than you, you want to play with them, not against them."

The argument over which Braves team would win can wait. For this weekend, the 1976 edition will be cheering on the 2009 edition, hoping for another state title. And one of the players who will help determine if the Braves capture another title will be Desmin Williams, a kid who thought he was destined to ride the bench, but has earned a spot in the starting lineup.

"I'm more than excited," he said. "I'm just ready to win a state championship. I'm a senior now and I always wanted to win a state championship."