Welcome back, Coaches. Three good ones follow today.
1. Get organized with your monthly HS coaches to-do list (Parker Resources)
This is a helpful resource for all coaches — regardless of where you are located. Print this out, put it by your computer, and stick to the plan.
How will your monthly to-do list change in 2020-21?
2. Infamous high school coach Rush Propst under investigation … again (Washington Times Herald)
How’s this one for helicopter parenting? A set of California parents got divorced to clear the way for their son to transfer to a Georgia school that happens to be coached by Rush Propst.
The eligibility of Valdosta (Georgia) High senior quarterback Jake Garcia — a college recruit who transferred from California — has come under question by the Georgia High School Association.
The investigation comes on the heels of a report by ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, where it was revealed that Garcia’s parents, Randy and Yvonne, dissolved their marriage Aug. 20 to clear the way for their son’s transfer to Valdosta to play for embattled head coach Rush Propst.
Propst, who was featured on the MTV reality show “Two-A-Days,” has won seven state championships and left his last to coaching stints at Colquitt County, Georgia and Hoover, Alabama under a cloud.
Propst made room on his roster for the highly touted Garcia, a USC commit. Randy Garcia, Jake’s father, told ESPN he and his wife plan to get back together once their son’s season at Valdosta High ends.
Garcia, a transfer from La Habra (Calif.), played in the Wildcats’ season opener and helped lead the team to a season-opening victory against Warner Robins. Garcia completed 22-of-34 passes for 332 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in his Wildcat debut.
The quarterback was ruled out of Valdosta’s game Sept. 18 against Bainbridge with a hamstring injury.
Propst declined to comment on the GHSA investigation Wednesday afternoon, but told the media the decision to sit Garcia was due to Garcia’s hamstring injury and not his eligibility.
How will you handle this situation if a set of recently divorced parents tried to transfer their son to your school?
3. Senior night at the first game? Welcome to high school football in SC during COVID-19 (The State)
South Carolina high schools missed out on a chance to honor senior athletes when the coronavirus shut down sports in the spring. Several Midlands schools are making sure that won’t happen in the fall.
When the high school football season kicked off Friday for public schools around the Palmetto State, senior night ceremonies were part of several teams’ opening night festivities.
Four-time defending state champion Dutch Fork was one of the schools to hold senior night in its opener. All schools in Lexington-Richland 5 are doing the same, saying thank you to seniors and their families in ceremonies traditionally reserved for the last home game of the season.
Coaches and school administrators continue to stress the importance of staying safe. Throughout Friday’s game, the public address announcer at Dutch Fork reminded folks in the crowd to wear their masks and practice social distancing. At Chapin, barriers were placed on the home side to prevent large groups from sitting together. Students sat on the hill with circles painted in the end zone for spots to stand during the game.
“I know a lot of people are shutting down but we are still encouraging guys to wear their masks, quarantine and make this our little bubble,” Dutch Fork coach Tom Knotts said. “Hopefully, we will stay intact and get to play the whole year. But we will see.”
What is your plan for honoring seniors this season?
What’s driving the conversation in your locker room? Email Managing Editor Dan Guttenplan or Tweet us @fnfcoaches. Don’t forget to use that hashtag #FNFCoachesTalk
