THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 29, 1995 TAG: 9509290635
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 115 lines
One is white and 50, in his 23rd season as a head football coach at his fourth school.
The other is black and 36, a rookie head coach who pinches himself every day just to make sure he's not dreaming.
Oscar Smith's Bill Lyons and Cox's Reggie Garrett don't seem to have much in common. But, as new coaches at schools with reputations for losing, they share a goal of building their teams into championship contenders.
With both teams off to 2-1 starts, Lyons and Garrett have provided a glimmer of hope that it can happen sooner rather than later. But with the toughest part of their schedules still ahead, no one is ordering championship rings yet.
Some history is in order.
Cox's last winning season was 1982, when the Falcons went 7-3 under Al Habit. From those not-so-giddy heights, the Falcons descended into a four-year tailspin during which they went 6-34.
Jim Prince restored the program to mediocrity with three consecutive 5-5 records from 1990 to '92. Cox slipped to 4-6 in 1993, then plummeted to 1-9 last year under Gene Beck.
Oscar Smith has rolled similar numbers for the past 15 years. The Tigers' last winning season was 1983, when they posted a 7-2-1 mark under George Quarles. Like Cox, Oscar Smith enjoyed a brief stretch of mediocrity, going 5-5 in 1988 and 1989, Quarles' last two seasons.
Charlie Stukes replaced Quarles and went 10-40 over the next five years. Included in that stretch was an 18-game losing streak.
So how did the Tigers and Falcons get to 2-1, and what makes Lyons and Garrett think they can continue the trend?
For Lyons the answer is as easy as looking out his locker room door and into gleaming, 2-year-old Tiger Stadium.
``I look out there and see 8,000 people in the stands and we're playing whomever for the district title,'' he says.
Lyons' timing couldn't be better. Once a small school with a declining enrollment tucked neatly in the middle of old South Norfolk, Oscar Smith moved last year to fabulous new quarters off Great Bridge Boulevard, closer to Chesapeake's growth belt.
With enrollment way up and a facility second to none, Oscar Smith principal Glen Koonce took the bold step of hiring a coach who knew how to win. Lyons, who took teams at York and Warwick to the playoffs, was that man.
The school called a news conference last spring to introduce Lyons to the students, faculty and media - a virtually unheard-of practice in Hampton Roads.
``It was Glen's idea and I thought it was great,'' Lyons says. ``It was his way of showing the importance of hiring a new person and stating that he wanted to be successful.''
Koonce has received immediate dividends. The Tigers have beaten Maury and Norcom and have lost only to sixth-ranked Booker T. Washington 10-8. They had a chance to win that game but mishandled the snap on a 28-yard field goal attempt with 3:11 left.
Oscar Smith ranks fourth in South Hampton Roads in scoring defense and seventh in total defense.
What's made the difference? A greater emphasis on teaching, according to the players.
``Instead of just going out and practicing and not knowing what we're doing, we're watching film every day,'' says William Bonner, a senior defensive tackle and offensive guard. ``Then when we do go outside, we're more prepared.''
Added Kelvin Beathea, a senior running back and linebacker, ``Now when we see a team line up, we know what to do. Coach Lyons is a great motivator with a positive attitude.''
Changing attitudes was one of Garrett's biggest chores at Cox. Garrett is the Falcons' third coach in the past three years.
Prince, now at Ocean Lakes, has an engaging personality and is popular with his players. Beck, a former assistant under Prince, struggled to find his niche as a head coach. In trying to be different, he was, perhaps, too harsh.
``Football is fun again,'' says senior lineman Craig Reed. ``There is more emphasis on mental preparation and less live contact.''
Adds senior lineman Brian Berube, ``The coaching staff is excellent. It makes you want to come to practice this year.''
Garrett had lots of time to consider how he would run a team, but not much time to implement his ideas when the opportunity arose.
He applied for jobs at Denbigh, Menchville, Ferguson, Bayside, Cox, Salem and Ocean Lakes before getting hired at Cox in July.
Garrett, who was an assistant coach last year at Ocean Lakes, had less than a month to put together a staff and contact players before practice began in August.
His saving grace has been a core of 19 seniors with varsity experience who worked out all spring and summer and refused to let another coaching change ruin their final year.
Garrett has capitalized on that camaraderie by emphasizing family and unity. He also stresses academics and has teachers fill out progress reports on the players each week.
That might make better citizens, but doesn't necessarily make better football players.
The rap on Cox football has always been that the players are too white and too wealthy, more interested in Smashing Pumpkins than smashmouth football.
That's an unfair stereotype, Garrett says.
``We have some size and we have some speed,'' he says. ``Nobody runs the 40 in 4.3, but we've got 4.7s and 4.8s. That's not bad.
``And I've found that the wealthy kids don't play football. Most of the kids we've got, both of their parents work and some of them work nights.''
Garrett and Lyons can appreciate that. Working nights and days is nothing new for them. It's all part of reaching a goal.
``I plan on being in contention for the district title in three years,'' Lyons says. ``There is no reason not to. In all honesty, if we stay healthy this year we can play with anybody.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Reggie Garrett has emphasized family and unity at Cox. His Falcons
say football is fun again.
Oscar Smith's Bill Lyons gets high marks from his Tigers for
preparation and motivation.
by CNB