Broad Run and Potomac Falls Looking For New Skippers
Coaching changes are often seen at this time in the college and professional ranks, but this season, we are seeing some made on the high school level locally in the Dulles District. While it’s still unclear about who made the decisions and why, we know that in 2006, two teams will be featuring new head coaches and most likely assistants. Broad Run’s head job opened right after the final game of the season.
Former Head Coach Ken Belchik announced to his team that night that he would not be returning next season. Belchik seemed to have the program on the rise the past two seasons after a disappointing 0-10 year in 2002. But the 2005 team nearly duplicated that winless season of 2002, finishing with a 1-9 record. With players like running back Thayer Nelson, and linebacker Austin Lafollette, many experts believed the Spartans would contend for the Dulles District title in 2005. That pressure may have led to Belchik stepping down.
The same cannot be said over at Potomac Falls high school. The Panthers head man Casey Childs led his Panthers to a 4-6 record but his team was in contention for the district title all the way to the end. The Panthers played 4 non-conference teams that went deep into the playoffs and that contributed to their poor 0-4 start. While it’s not clear why the move was made, Gameday has learned that in fact the head coaching position is open for applicants and Childs is not returning in 2006. Childs and the Panthers had knocked on the doorstep of the playoffs a few times and in 2003, they posted the school’s best record at 7-3. In 2004 they would finish 4-6 as the case in 2005.
As for the next guys in line, it’s still unclear on who that may be. Gameday has learned that over 30 applicants have applied for the Broad Run job with only 10 of them being local. It’s believed that Casey Childs is one of the local applicants along with a few assistants from the Dulles District teams. As for Potomac Falls, the Panther job won’t be open officially until January 1st, 2006. With several promising athletes like defensive tackle Blaise Ruffing returning next season, that job could also be attractive to coaches inside and outside of the area.
Gameday will keep you informed as best as possible about both jobs and have interviews with the new coaches once they have been officially hired.
