New coaches highlight first day of football practice

Reggie Jones is in his first year as Bruton's coach.

By John Harvey

HarveySports757@yahoo.com

New faces in familiar places headline the first day of high school football practice in greater Williamsburg.

Reggie Jones, a long-time assistant at Bruton, opened his first camp as coach at his alma mater and was pleased with the overall effort.

“I think we’re right on schedule,” Jones said. “We’ve had a great turnout during the summer both in the weight room and in our 7-on-7 camps. Offensively, I think we’re going to surprise some people and we’ve got some talent on the defensive side of the ball.”

The Panthers had nearly 40 players out for the first day of practice, which Jones said has been right about average. “If it was any more, I wouldn’t know what to do,” he laughed. “The big thing is we’re going to have to stay healthy.”

Zach Uvodich and Deandre Kissoon are team leaders.

Terrence Johnson, who served as the defensive coordinator for the 2009 Bruton team that reached the state championship game, has returned to the staff after a stint as a head coach on the Northern Neck.

Zach Uvodich, Deandre Kissoon, Daniel Jones and Ian Gruver anchor a defensive unit that should flourish under Johnson’s attack-style unit. Click here for photos from today’s practice.

Thad Wheeler takes over as Warhill football coach.

At Warhill High School, the Thad Wheeler era began Thursday, returning to the place where his coaching career began.

A standout at William and Mary, Wheeler served as an assistant coach at Lafayette for several years under his father, Paul Wheeler.

Keron Dedmon returns as Warhill's top rusher.

There was a buzz around practice this morning, as there was rarely any down-time during the three-hour practice. From work on special teams to individual position instruction, the Lions’ first practice was definitely detail oriented.

Wheeler was at the center of it all, teaching proper tackling techniques to younger defensive players. He also worked extensively with the lineman, making sure they grasped the intricate blocking techniques.

The coaching staff also had a new look, as Keenan Canaday and Joe Berkeley were the only holdovers from last year’s staff.

The players seemed to flourish under the new regime. Clayton Osterloh, Collin Bright, Keron Dedmon and Bryce Koob were among the veteran players showing a lot of energy on the first day of practice. Click here for a photo gallery of Thursday’s practice.

Contact me at HarveySports757@yahoo.com or via Twitter at @HarveySports757.