Basketball star Williams answers football’s call
· Yahoo Sports
Tyse Williams is certainly no stranger to Ada High School basketball fans.
Williams averaged nearly 10 points as a freshman and repeatedly wowed fans with spectacular dunks that showcased his athletic ability. He also finished the season with 76 rebounds, 40 assists and 17 steals.
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Williams was named the 2026 Ada News All-Area Basketball Freshman of the Year.
Now, fans are getting the opportunity to get to know Tyse Williams, the football player.
“Tyse came out during the spring to give football a shot to see if he’d even like it. and he did,” Ada head coach Wade Boyles told The Ada News. “He worked out with us all summer long between basketball camps and other basketball things he was going to.”
At the beginning of preseason, Williams felt like he couldn’t juggle all the basketball opportunities already coming his way and commit to the Ada Cougar football program at the same time. He decided he needed to focus on basketball and left the football team.
“Some more basketball opportunities came up, and he didn’t know if it was going to be able to work out to do both this fall,” Boyles said.
The thing is, Williams really started missing football — especially the camaraderie with his new teammates. So about halfway through the preseason, he approached Boyles and said he wanted to play for the Cougars again.
“He came to me and said, ‘Coach, I really miss football. I’d like to come back and be a part of the team and contribute,” Boyles said.
After meeting with Ada’s football seniors to see if Williams’ return was OK with them, Boyles said they welcomed Williams back to the team with open arms.
Williams will primarily be a wide receiver for the Cougars, giving quarterback Hunter Boren another talented target. He’ll also return kicks and may even get some snaps at cornerback.
Williams made his season debut against the Ardmore Tigers. He finished with three catches for 32 yards and returned four kicks for 66 yards, averaging 16.5 yards per return.
Boyles said Williams is quickly learning the ins and outs of football and believes he’ll be a difference-maker on the field sooner rather than later.
“He’s an extremely hard worker and wants to know how to do things correctly the first time. He had big-play capabilities. He has great hands, he runs good routes, and he’s starting to understand the game more and more with each rep,” Boyles said. “It’s exciting for Tyse and exciting for Hunter to have another big target like that.”
Williams nearly had a fourth catch against the Tigers. He used the incredible leaping ability he has displayed over and over on the basketball court and almost came up with a big-time grab. However, the ball sailed just above his fingertips.
Williams is listed at 6-foot-2 on last year’s Ada basketball roster but plays much taller because of his athleticism.
“He about one-handed that ball. He’s a special athlete,” Boyles said.
Boyles said Williams has a high ceiling as a football player.
“If he continues to work as hard as he has been, the sky’s the limit for his football career,” he said.
Rex also comes out
Senior Rex Reynolds has a similar story to Williams. He was Ada’s point guard for the basketball team last season and also went through spring drills with the football team.
He too, left the Cougars to pursue basketball full time. Reynolds then decided to return to the team a little later in the preseason to give football a try during his final high school year.
“He’s another kid that came out during the spring and wanted to give football a shot going into his senior year,” Boyles said. “He’s another kid that was pursuing basketball, but kind of felt like he left something open. He wanted to make sure he didn’t regret playing high school football.”
Reynolds, like Williams, will join the Cougars’ receiving corps. He’ll also make a nice target with his 6-foot-5 frame.
Boyles said Reynolds is working hard in preparing for his Friday night debut.
“Hopefully he’ll be ready in a couple of weeks,” he said.
The addition of Williams and Reynolds will allow some of their Ada teammates to get some much-needed breaks.
“It will give us a chance to spell some of our guys who are playing both ways and give them a chance to rest on offense,” Boyle said. “We’re looking forward to seeing both of those guys on Friday nights.”