Albany State’s quarterback battle down to Stephon Masha and Kelias Williams

ALBANY — With a year of application in the books, Albany State head coach Gabe Giardina now has higher expectations of his offense, particularly his starting quarterback. While he hasn’t officially named who that will be, it’s down to two candidates Giardina is very high on.

Sophomore Kelias Williams is ready to take snaps under center if called upon. Williams made his collegiate debut in one of the biggest games of the season and made the most of it as he was named an MVP of the Fountain City Classic where ASU defeated Fort Valley State 34-9. In that game, Williams finished 12-of-22 for 141 yards, one passing touchdown and two rushing TDs.

Williams is a former Thomas County Central standout.

“All season long I was trying to learn the offense and when I got my chance, I had been soaking it all in and just did what I was taught, basically,” Williams said about his performance.

Graduate transfer Stephon Masha is healthy and also ready to suit up under center for the Rams. Masha transferred from Liberty University and is a graduate of South Cobb in Austell.

Giardina said both bring exactly what the team needs to the table, and he’s confident that no matter who he ultimately decides to go with they will put the team in a position to win.

“It’s a little up in the air right now. It’s a little based on health right now,” he said. “I feel good about both guys. They’re both tough, both are winners, their teammates really like them. So I would say it’s a little up in the air. They both deserve it and we’ve got confidence in both of them.”

Out of the battle is Chancellor Johnson, ASU’s starter from last season. Giardina said Johnson decided to quit the team before the start of the season.

The two remaining quarterbacks have formed a bond and push each other in a healthy way. Williams has been learning the subtle nuances of the position from Masha, who brings Big South experience to Albany State. Masha is able to push himself by competing against the explosive and athletic Williams. Both said they have enjoyed learning from and testing one another so far.

“K Dubb, he’s like my little brother so we’ve got to go hard,” Masha said. “We’ve got to show the offensive line that we’re coming out every day with the same tempo as each other and have good practices and build on that so we can both go into the game prepared. With either of us switching we have to know what we’re doing.”

“He’s like my big brother, so I’m kind of under his wing right now,” Williams said. “He’s showing me the ropes, and I’m trying to take it all in.”

Masha said it is his goal to help his team win in any way possible, which includes using his experience to help with building up younger quarterbacks.

“It helped a lot coming from a higher conference,” he said. “Learning my three to four years at Liberty University really helped in coming down here so I can help young quarterbacks like Kelias, so when I leave he knows how to operate an offense, he knows how lead and guide.”

With the season opener at Valdosta State at 7 p.m. this Saturday, Giardina said he’s confident they’ll be ready. This year the plan is to open the offense a little more and allow the quarterback to take some liberties to make some plays rather than be a straight game manager.

“I’ve think they’ve got to be a playmaker too,” he said. “What we do with our quarterbacks, you’ve got to be a play maker and a good decision maker and so it’s a little bit more than managing the game, I mean they need to do a good job of that. But we just trust those guys to make the throws, number one, to make the right reads in the run game, get us in the right checks. They’re fun to coach. They are two of the more talented guys that I’ve ever been a part of coaching.”