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Doug Stavey did not coach Eric Williams on the Little Rock Central boys soccer team in 2019. But after seeing him for three years, Stavey, who still coaches volleyball at Central, was a fan of Williams' exploits on and off the field. Doug Stavey did not coach Eric Williams on the Little Rock Central boys soccer team in 2019. But after seeing him for three years, Stavey, who still coaches volleyball at Central, was a fan of Williams' exploits on and off the field. Central had four students from the Class of 2019 announced in June as National Merit Scholars. They were Williams, Keira Boop, Alexander Han and Ross Kimbrell. According to the Little Rock School District's website, Central has had more National Merit finalists in the past 10 years than any other school in the state. In his first two years at Central, Williams played soccer for the Arkansas United program. But he decided not to play for the program after his sophomore year because he wanted to focus even more on his academics. "Academics always came first," Williams said. "I had a high standard for myself." Williams' favorite subject was calculus. He called his AP calculus teacher James Gilson his favorite teacher. Stavey taught Williams as a freshman in Pre-AP Algebra 2. He was in awe of what Williams had done academically. "When you consider how outstanding the bar is at Central, it's even more impressive," Stavey said. "There are high academic standards. It makes it that much more impressive." Williams wants to get into engineering like several of his family members and plans to major in mechanical engineering at the University of Kentucky. His father Travis is a mechanical engineer, and his brother Wyatt is an electrical engineer. Also, Williams' mother Cheri was a math major. "I'm a huge math guy," Williams said. "It's my favorite subject by far." By earning a National Merit scholarship, Williams will be attending Kentucky on a full-ride scholarship. Kentucky offers National Merit Scholars a full-ride scholarship if they are from out of state. Those students also receive a housing stipend. When Williams visited the Kentucky campus, he knew it was the place for him.

Central High School Athletics

ROARING TO THE TOP

Photo Credit: Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette