Coach’s Corner Week 2

Now we’re really into the thick of things. Region play began for a lot of people this week. Believe it or not games were played this week that will probably determine the playoffs fates of a lot of teams. Now the real cream rises to the top in terms of coaching. You’re now settled into the routine of the new school year. Distractions are beginning to pop up. Homecoming, spirit week, labor day weekend, and many other things that may pop up week to week. Keeping a team focused and able to block all the outside noise is a skill that many of the best head coaches possess. This week, I’ve got four staffs that I know do a good job of that.

Homewood: I was at this game on Friday. Anytime two neighboring Birmingham suburbs get together you know it will be a great clash. After the crazy ending to last year’s game, I expected something similar. Boy, did Coach Berguson and staff let me down on the craziness I was expecting. I’m sure Coach could care less that I did not receive the excitement I was looking for. Homewood dominated the Mountain Brook Spartans that I am sure no one in the state expected. The effort was really led by their defense. When you play a Coach Yeager led Mountain Brook team you know that they are going to run wide zone. If you cannot stop it you are in for a long night. Homewood did a great job of stifling the Mountain Brook run game. Homewood’s offense was able to move the ball at will and thus the

Helena: Before you accuse me of being too Birmingham centric let me explain this to you. This one has been brewing for two weeks. Helena opened the season with a victory over Moody in their first game. Moody had already played a game and was coming in looking to bounce back. This week Coach Busby’s huskies hosted the Pelham Panthers in what is a pretty underrated rivalry in Birmingham with the schools separated by roughly six miles. Helena was able to grit out a close win. Anyone who watches Coach Busby’s Helena teams know they are very well coached. With some key pieces leaving in the offseason due to graduation or transfer Busby and staff have done a great job coaching what they have.

Greenville: Here, I am breaking my focus on the cities. Greenville, a once proud program, has somewhat confusingly fallen on hard times recently. Enter Gary Johnston, the former Foley and Luverne OC. Johnston and the Tigers have gotten off to a hot start beating local foe Hillcrest Evergreen, dropping a close one to 6A foe Alma Bryant, and then routing Beauregard this week. Greenville is a sleeping giant, a program that even in the last ten years was extremely competitive. Personally, I believe Johnston is the right man to return them to their former prominence.

Winterboro: This was a game a lot of people around the state were talking about. Winterboro versus Loachapoka. Odds are, this could have been for the region title in 1A Region 6. Both just small 1A schools with division one athletes on their rosters. Coach Skylar Mansfield and staff had their Winterboro team ready to play. This was a good test for both teams. I will be interested to see if these two possibly meet again in the playoffs. The old saying goes, it’s tough to beat a good team once. But even harder to beat them twice. That is exactly what Winterboro might have to do in the playoffs.