… And it begins
- Updated: August 3, 2015
[corner-ad id=2]Three coaches ‘set the tone’ for the season ahead with new teams as fall practice opened Monday
First-year Donoho coach Andy McWilliams conducts defensive drills on the first day of practice. On the cover, new White Plains coach Chris White oversee his first fall practice at Robertson Field.
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
Chris White has been through the first day of fall practice many times before, but this one was different. So different, in fact, he didn’t sleep very well Sunday night.
Monday was the first day of high school football practice in Alabama, but for White — and two other coaches in Calhoun County — it was the first day of real practice with new teams.
And for two of them — White Plains’ White and Donoho’s Andy McWilliams — it was their first day of real practice as a head coach. The third, Jonathan Nix, takes over at Pleasant Valley after moving over as head coach at Ragland.
White was the first of the three to hit the field, leading his troops out onto Robertson Field Monday morning.
“It was different, first of all, designing an entire practice, not just the defensive side of the football,” White said. “And having to be the big motivator, not just motivating one side of the football, and having a lot more meetings leading up to the day.
“I couldn’t go to sleep last night thinking about it, getting ready for the day. That first day sets the tone for the whole season; that was a big deal for me. What am I going to do different as a coach today that I hadn’t done in the past as a head guy?
“I was really stoked about being in charge. I hate to say that, not really wanting to be a dictator, but it was just real exciting to know you’re putting your hand on this thing and the assistant coaches are following your lead and the players are starting to grasp it.”
McWilliams, the Falcons’ longtime assistant and defensive coordinator, said he has been so busy making sure every detail was handled he frankly hadn’t time to think about the emotion of his first head coaching day.
The Falcons are training at Camp Lee for the first time after many years opening camp in Pisgah on former coach Shannon Felder’s watch. McWilliams called it an “enjoyable” first day in their new surroundings.
“It’s a little different from an organizational standpoint, a team standpoint, when you’re worried about not just strictly football,” he said. “I was so busy getting everything done and trying to put the finishing touches on everything exactly how I wanted it, I really hadn’t time to sit back and think about it.
“Having been coaching for several years now and knowing a lot of these kids from when they were in kindergarten, I guess it’s really kind of neat to do things your own way. You always feel like you would like to have the opportunity to organize things and do things your way to see if it’s successful or not.”
All three coaches got a feel for their new teams in the spring, but things can — and often do — change between May and August.
White Plains, for example, lost its potential starting quarterback when Drew Hudson moved out of the area last month. To that end, White has had to move Kevin Carr from lead back to quarterback and put Carr’s brother Macy in the running back spot; he’s excited about the “dynamic duo” they bring. The Wildcats also have moved Caleb Turner from fullback to guard.
McWilliams said he felt “pretty good about where we were on Day One” with their momentum and retention coming out of the spring and offseason. In terms of new personnel making an impact, Ross Svensen is “doing a good job working in the rotation” at quarterback, which would enhance Chandler Collins’ ability as a runner, and John Hutto has returned to the lines after missing the spring.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login