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AFM Magazine

AFM Magazine


AFM’s 2010 High School Coaches of the Year

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East

Harold Fairclough 
Allentown Central Catholic (PA)
 
When it comes to loyalty to one’s alma mater, Harold Fairclough is a prime example. Fairclough is a graduate of Allentown Central Catholic High School, where he is the head coach. Playing for head coach Jim Morgans in the early 1990’s, Fairclough learned how important it is to let his assistants do their job. Taken the model used by Morgans, Fairclough surrounded himself with the best coaches possible, gave them a philosophy and vision, kept them motivated, and – most of all – let them coach.

    “There are no egos here and all the coaches have a great work ethic,” said Fairclough. “I want all of my coaches to have both input in everything we do and communicate to both each other and the players. I am only going to be as good as the people around me.”

    Allentown Central Catholic defeated Bishop McDevitt, 28-27, in the PIAA-AAA State Championship game to culminate a 16-0 season. The Vikings have now won 28 of their last 30 games and return all-state player Brendan Nosovitch, who became the first athlete in Pennsylvania prep history to throw for 2,000 yards and run for 1,000 for two straight seasons.

    “We laid out for our players last winter what it would take to win a state championship,” said Fairclough. “We told our athletes they would have to work their tails off during the winter and spring, focus every day on their goal, hit the weights on a consistent basis, not miss practice, not complain, and deal with adversity as it happens. We were then able to create a family environment and the right attitude. The parents of our athletes were extremely supportive and it made for a great atmosphere.”

    In evaluating his players, Fairclough looks for three things – a love of the game, a commitment to hard work, and players that are coachable and do not question coaching-related decisions. “Our athletes completely bought into our philosophy and welcomed the discipline needed to be successful. 

    “We ran a spread offense but also used a multiple pro-set with the goal being to run the ball down their throat. Defensively, we found that the 3-5-3 was our most effective scheme. We put our best athletes at linebacker while changing looks often. We didn’t have a lot of big defensive linemen so we used a three-man front most of the time.”

    Congratulations, coach, on your undefeated championship season.


Southeast

Stan Sexton
Phoebus High School (VA) 
 
It’s not easy replacing a legend. Bill Dee coached Phoebus High School in Hampton, VA for 24 years and had a record of 97-9 since 2001. His overall mark was 216-63 and Phoebus won four state titles in his last eight years as coach. But he moved on to become an assistant at Christopher Newport University after the 2008 season where his last team went 15-0. But new head coach Stan Sexton didn’t miss a beat – his first team, in 2009, won a state championship and last fall’s squad did the same – their third straight Division V State title. Now the Phantoms have a 45-game winning streak.

    “More than anything else, I believe in defense and that defense wins championships,” said Sexton, who came to Phoebus from nearby Warrick High School. “Our Defensive Coordinator Greg Navrid put together an aggressive unit that is modeled after the Virginia Tech defense. It’s an eight-man front or a 4-4 with some variations.” In 2009, the Phoebus defense gave up only 92 points in 15 games and this past fall limited the opposition to 80 points. The Phantoms defense also shut out six opponents in each of the last two seasons.

    The Phoebus program is a model of success, having won six state titles in the last decade. Sexton feels there are three factors that are critical for achieving his program’s goals – the staff of coaches, the overall strength and conditioning program, and mentally believing in what you do on offense and defense.

    “Our staff, I feel, is the best in the country and many of them have been together 20+ years,” said Sexton. “Our athletes know and trust the coaches and this consistency helps the continuity of the program. We’ve also developed a very intense and disciplined weightlifting program that our athletes have bought into and it goes year-round. In terms of our offense, we’re going to play hard-nosed, smash mouth football and we try to instill in our kids that no one can stop our running game. Plus, our defense speaks for itself.”


Southwest

Lance Pogue
South Panola High School (MS)
 
According to Lance Pogue, head coach at South Panola High School in Batesville, MS, the biggest challenge each season is to have his players buy into the team concept. “Individual accolades – as part of our philosophy – will come if everyone of the team members truly believes the team comes first,” said Pogue. “This is our goal each winter although it becomes more difficult when you see the selfishness in the pro game. This year’s team completely bought into the concept.”

    Apparently, the team philosophy at South Panola is working. The Tigers won the Mississippi 6A State Championship with a 28-17 win over Meridian High School en route to a perfect 15-0 season. In fact, South Panola is now 58-2 with three state titles in the four years Pogue has been head coach. On three separate high school ranking services, South Panola finished tops in the nation.

    “Our number one objective on offense is to run the ball successfully,” said Pogue. “We use a multiple offense that includes one and two-back sets along with some wildcat and shotgun formations. To make it work, it’s critical to have physically tough offensive linemen. Defensively, we use a multiple scheme run out of a 4-3. One of the keys of our defense has been to disguise our coverage pre-snap but not limit our attack mode of defense.”

    Tradition has been an important part of the South Panola program since the school’s first state title in 1993. To that end, Pogue and his staff have a feeder program in place that helps continue this tradition. “Having our young athletes – 7th and 8th graders – learn our terminology before their freshman year is a critical element to the success of our program,” said Pogue. “We obviously focus on fundamentals, especially with our elementary school kids. But, by having our junior high players understand the basic concepts of our offense and defense, they are ready to contribute to the program as incoming freshman.”

    The Tigers are in a position to continue that tradition in 2011. South Panola dressed 58 underclassmen for their championship game. It’s just a matter of reloading on a year-to-year basis.


Midwest

Ron Muhitch
Wheaton Warrenville South (IL)  
 
Wheaton Warrenville South’s senior class had the distinction of not losing a conference game since joining the team as freshmen. The Tigers lost only one contest – a non-conference game – over that four-year period. Using a multiple pro-style offense with some spread formations, this past fall WWS defeated Lake Zurich, 28-17, in the Class 7A State Championship game. 

    “This class really had great unity and chemistry,” said head coach Ron Muhitch. “They had great friendships and feeling for each other. Each player clearly didn’t want to let the team or any specific player down. They really bonded and it showed.”

    Muhitch’s program has been consistently successful. “Our program begins with a solid philosophy that must be understood by every player,” said Muhitch. “We put it down on paper for our athletes and it goes beyond wins and losses but also includes a total commitment, strong character qualities, a long-term application of skills beyond high school and a checks-and-balances system. We have a long-standing tradition at WWS – this was the high school that Red Grange went to.”

    The Wheaton Warrenville South coach also credits his staff for not only the success of the team on the field, but the shaping of his players lives off it. Muthitch has – in addition to his staff assistants – up to 11 former WWS athletes helping as volunteers for the program. “My staff assistants and I share the same philosophy and want to see the athletes improve on the field and grow as individuals when away from the game,” he said. “With our volunteer assistants, we combine a great blend of the past with today in dealing with our kids.

    “We believe in two-platoon football and our volunteer assistants are very important part of our program. Everyone goes to clinics and I have all of our coaches evaluate the kids by position. We also establish a template for our evaluations and make sure – once the season is over – we have goals in place for every player. High school football has become a 24/7 business.”


West

Steve Belles
Hamilton High School (AZ)

As a player and as a coach, Steve Belles is at the pinnacle of success. In 1984, he was voted the outstanding Arizona State Player of the Year as a quarterback at St. Mary’s High School in Phoenix. Accepting a scholarship to Notre Dame, Belles played three different positions for the Irish and was a member of the 1988 National Championship team.

    After playing briefly as a professional and then coaching professionally, Belles began a successful run as a high school coach in Arizona at both Mountain Ridge and Desert Mountain. He took over the Hamilton High School program in Chandler in 2006. The Huskies have won three straight state titles in 5A-I competition and now have a 40-game winning streak.

    This year’s team began the season with a 24-17 win over nationally-ranked Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas and it ended with a 21-13 victory over Desert Ridge in the State Championship game. Hamilton finished with a 15-0 record. “The big question for this year’s team,” said Belles, “was if they had the mental capacity to become the first school to win three straight titles. There was a weight on their shoulders having won two straight from the previous juniors and seniors. They responded, took the season one game at a time, and worked through different types of adversity.

    “I think the first reason for our success is a school superintendent that believes in the overall football program,” said Belles. “Secondly, our school principal gave us the resources needed to consistently win. Having that support resonates to just about all that we do in terms of everything from our day-to-day practices to booster activities. The third element that has helped our overall program is our staff. Many of the assistant coaches were here before I got to Hamilton and, as a testament to our program, stayed. It clearly has made a difference with our players.”

    Belles runs a multiple-set offense at Hamilton, which has included some veer, wing-t, and spread formations. The offense achieved close to a perfect balance in 2010, running and passing each for over 3,000 yards. Defensively, Belles uses the 4-2-5 defense and makes adjustments, depending on the opponent. It paid off this year. Hamilton held seven of their opponents to a touchdown or less. 






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