— Anthony King didn’t mind when Victor Williams grabbed a lot of the passes and attention for Muskogee’s football team during the 2011 season.

But Williams has graduated. King steps out of the background into  the bright spotlight going into  2012 and he’s not backing down from it.

“I have pretty big shoes to fill. Victor was a playmaker last year and our go-to guy,” King said. “I’ve got to take over, but I’m not nervous about it.”

King has been getting plenty of chances to show and hone his skills in the off-season. He’s been at the University of Tulsa Team Camp this week, which wraps up today.

Muskogee coach Josh Blankenship doesn’t see any kind of drop off in production from Williams to King.

“With Victor graduating, I think Anthony wants to fill that role and he’s doing that by the way he practices and prepares,” Blankenship said. “He wants to be the go-to guy. We’re not going to be doing the same things with him as we did with Victor. They’re different athletes.”

For one, King is bigger than Williams. He’s gotten taller and bigger since the end of last season, adding two inches in height and 15 pounds to his frame.

King’s talents, though, are not limited to football. He’s also a small forward for coach Lloyd Williams’ basketball team, averaging 11 points per game last season. He scored 25 against Broken Arrow on Feb. 3. He will play again this coming season.

For now, however, King’s focus is on football.

He’s proven he can catch the ball, pulling in six passes for 56 yards against Norman High last season. King sounds more determined for this year.

“I have to work hard in practice and improve my work ethic,” he said. “I also try to get out there with Trevor (Jiles, the Roughers’ starting quarterback) every day and run routes. We do lot of work together.”

Blankenship has become comfortable with King at receiver.

“It was a matter of him understanding our system,” the MHS coach said. “Anthony’s a little more physical and he runs his routes better.

“He’s also doing a great job with his blocking. That’s the thing our receivers have improved on the most. The first thing we tell them is if they can’t block, they can’t play receiver. Anthony’s turned into a very coachable athlete. He has the athleticism, good feet and good hands. His size makes him an easy target to throw to. He’s not a sophomore anymore.”

King also showed maturity in his approach to the camp.

“I looked at it as an opportunity to get better,” he said. “I wanted to compete and be a leader out here.”

Every now and then, Williams shows up at Muskogee’s practice. It’s not uncommon to see the graduated receiver talking with his replacement.

“He gives me tips and pointers to make my routes and cuts more precise,” he said. “I try to take in all I can.”