By Kyle Coppola
Tavares High Izayia Williams Breaks School Squat Record
Izayia Williams, a four-star football recruit committed to the University of Syracuse, recently broke the Tavares squatting record. Williams managed to lift 520 pounds, breaking the 515 pound record held by Cole Stinson which was set in 2019. “Those numbers are only going to go up and he’s set to eventually break other weightlifting numbers for the school within the next 2 years.” says coach Trey Grant.
(Williams on a recent visit to a USF)
Williams is a 6’1, 205-pound linebacker who plays both linebacker and edge for Tavares. His career progression has been exciting to watch, garnering Division 1 offers from around the country. You can see his record lift here:
See the full video of Willimas putting up a 520 pound squat here: https://x.com/i/status/1803248202763653346
“Izayia is just a different breed in all the best ways. The physical attributes and toughness are there with him, that’s been evident since he walked through the doors as a freshman. From the start you could tell Zay was special. Now to watch him grow as a student-athlete and develop into a leader on the field, in the weight room and in the locker room is amazing. He’s becoming a true leader for us and is going to help us do big things on both sides of the ball.” says Trey Grant.
(Last year Williams played at Leesburg High for coach Moffett but has transferred back to Tavares High School for his junior year of football.)
Coming off a strong sophomore year with 40 tackles (23 solo), leading the team in sacks and causing 2 fumbles, Williams is known for his speed and defensive prowess. While committed to Syracuse, he also holds offers from Iowa State, Louisville, Ole Miss, South Florida, and Western Kentucky, among others.
“Sometimes I have to sit back and remember that he’s only going into his junior year! Knowing we have two more years with Zay as a student-athlete and as a leader for this program is huge! Breaking the school squat record is just the beginning of the mark he’s going to leave on this school. His name is going to be all over the record boards in our weight room by the time he graduates, I guarantee it.” says coach Grant.
One thing is certain – he is a gifted athlete. Lifting 520 pounds in a squat is a significant achievement, and Williams is poised for a successful junior year at Tavares High School, under the guidance of Coach Jones, who has built a solid program where Williams will be a defensive anchor.
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
