TAMPA, Fla. -- Wharton’s new kid on the block came armed with impressive highlight reels.

From Plant High School to USC to the NFL, Mike Williams put on a show. That made it easy for his players to Google him.

“He was very good,” senior running back Johnnie Cason said.

But Williams brings more than an impressive resume to his new gig. He brings an infectious, high octane personality his players draw from. How much energy?

“A lot. A lot and I love it,” junior lineman Lanness Robinson said. “It’s just so fun being around.”

“The difference that I see is the energy and the numbers that have grown and the interest,” Athletic Director Eddie Henderson said.

For the past 15 seasons, Coach David Mitchell was all the Wharton Wildcats have known. When he stepped down in January to make way for Williams, it began the transition from familiar to brand new.

“He came in and he just right away, just made an impact,” Henderson said.

Making an impact in the midst of a pandemic has been a challenge.

“Sometimes it’s adapting and adjusting is the smart move instead of trying to show how tough you are,” Williams said.

Williams knows more about adapting and adjusting than most. He took over the Middleton football program last year just two weeks before the start of the season. With the team reeling from the death of freshman Hezekiah Walters, Williams helped in the grieving process by putting a solid product on the football field. It’s that experience with adversity that’s helping him navigate the virus waters.

“This Covid-19 is something different,” Williams said. “It’s not something I think you can put a toughness on or put a mindset on. I think it’s more you need to be smart, you need to be safe.”

Being safe doesn’t mean being boring. When you’ve got a head coach who played on some high-powered offenses, the goal of making the postseason for the first time since 2013 seems more attainable.

“It’s going to be very powerful, explosive and quick,” Cason said. “We’re going to score quick and a lot.”

The season kicks off soon but future games remain uncertain. But uncertainty isn’t holding these Wildcats back.

“The kids want to be here,” Williams said. “Some kids show up early. We have kids here as early as an hour before practice even starts just because they want to be here.”

Here with their new coach.

“That Wildcat life,” he said.  “We gotta represent. It shows that we’re proud to be here, that we want to be here and we want to get that in the community as well.