“We’ve been competitive for a long time. We’ve had years we did well. We’ve had years where we didn’t, but we’ve been competitive all those years.”
That is how Williamsburg Head Football Coach Jerry Herron describes not just his 21 seasons with the Yellow Jackets, but the overall history of the program.
“It’s been a testament to just the kids from Williamsburg just working hard in the weight room and working hard on the field and just being good in the classroom and to the longevity of the program and the health of it.”
Williamsburg football started in the early 1920s before taking a hiatus beginning in 1931.
Players returned to the gridiron in 1946 making this season 80 years since football returned to Williamsburg High School.
In 2013, the Yellow Jackets would see the 1A State Championship game for the first time.
This year, the team is looking to get back to that championship game.
“Our first goal is to play well, improve every week and give ourselves a chance to win every game, get ourselves in a chance to win those games with the RPI (Rating Percentage Index),” said Herron. “Our goal was to win the district. Our goal was to get into the region, compete in that, try to win the region and then see where it takes us after that with RPI to see if we get a chance to get back to the state finals.”
Getting back to a state championship game isn’t a fictious endeavor. Last season, the team went 6-5 but earned a 3-1 record in district play.
“It’s something that we believe in. We’ve done it here and we think we can do it again. There’s just a lot of things in our way of stopping it, and usually it’s us that stops it. Our health and just our decision making that we make at times, and we can continue to improve that. We’ll give ourselves a chance to accomplish all those goals this season.”
The team’s roster size is one of the key obstacles that could hinder a possible run.
“The years we went to state finals we had kids two deep at every position. If somebody got hurt, you just put somebody else in. We’re not in that luxury now,” said Herron.
That depth, or lack thereof, is not unique to Williamsburg.
“We have kids playing multiple ways and our depth is an experience depth. That’s what most single-A programs are having except for the Elite 4 or 5 in the state, the private schools and the league schools that have the roster that just keep like just keep getting kids from all over the place,” Herron explained. “You know, we’re not like that. We grow our kids up here. They’re all from Williamsburg, mostly, and for the most part, I’ve known them since they were little boys. They hit the weight room with us and starting in middle school, and they grow up and they develop for us, and that’s where we’re at.”
The impact of a smaller roster was evident last season.
“Last year, we had some kids get hurt in the end, and it really affected our season at the end. We didn’t finish as strong as we’d like to at times because of the injuries, and that’s what single A’s all about. It’s who can stay healthy the longest and give yourself a chance to compete in November.”
While depth may be the Yellow Jackets weakness, it also carries an unexpected sting that just might be this team’s greatest strength.
Because the team doesn’t have two or three players who can be dedicated to one position, they have built a swarm of players who are versatile.
“We’ve got so many kids that can play so many different places, and we’ve got kids that have played and are getting better and kids that are really developing into what we need them to be at certain positions,” said Herron. “With our strength at a lot of our positions, we continue to develop that and our versatility. We have a chance competing in the end.”
Herron’s Yellow Jackets will kick off regular season play against 2A Leslie County on Friday. Last season, Williamsburg defeated the Eagles 36-6 on the road.
