Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, August 31, 1995 TAG: 9509010017
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Even Scott didn't realize the monumental problems at PH when he followed Dennis Vaught as the Patriots' head football coach beginning with the 1990 season.
Actually, Scott followed Mike Sisler, who stepped in as interim coach after Vaught, regarded as one of the best young coaches in the state, was forced to resign late in the 1988 season. Vaught allegedly used a racial slur while talking to his team at halftime during a 19-7 loss at Homer Ferguson in Newport News.
Vaught resigned less than a week later and Sisler guided what had seemed to be a playoff-bound team to a 1-2 record in the last three games. Team unity, which had been tenuous at best under Vaught's fiery regime that resulted in disagreements between himself and his assistant coaches, fell apart after his resignation.
Scott, a Richmond native who had coached at old Clifton Forge High School before going on to lead Park View-Sterling to the 1988 Group AA Division 4 state crown, wanted to return to this part of the state as a finish to his coaching career.
``My youngest daughter [Alison] graduated from high school that year. Northern Virginia was more crowded all the time. I asked my wife [Frankie] where she'd like to move and she put down Winchester, Harrisonburg and Roanoke. I said I'd see if I could get a [coaching] job and Patrick Henry happened to come open,'' said the PH coach.
Scott, a no-nonsence mentor who rarely shows his emotions, proved to be what PH needed. When his first team finished 1-9, though, Scott admits he had thoughts about resigning. The rough start was due to more than the Vaught episode.
``The weight program had disappeared. There was no off-season program. We were physically the weakest team I'd had ever seen. We only had three or four guys who could bench 225,'' said Scott.
``There were only four returning players [Jerome West, Willie Ollie, Tuan Reynolds and David Marshall] who had ever played varsity. Other than that, the only experience was from a guy who had held a tackling dummy [during practice].''
All this, coupled with the Roanoke City schools' policy of not having interscholastic athletics in the middle schools, made rebuilding PH a formidable job.
Had he known, Scott might not have taken the job. ``I didn't pick up on everything. I didn't ask to see a roster [when I interviewed]. It wasn't that anyone hid it from me. I was a little upset after the season. It did cross my mind [to quit],'' he says.
``It was wearing and tearing on him,'' admits Frankie Scott about her husband's early days at PH. ``He thought about getting out, but we felt we had to give a try. A lot of times, it takes three or four years.''
Scott may have flinched, but he didn't flee. For the last two years, PH has been in the playoffs and gone 15-8 overall against what arguably might be the toughest schedule in Timesland. The Patriots even upset Woodbridge in last year's playoffs in what Scott labels as another positive step for his program.
``Look at our schedule, look at some of the other schools,'' said Scott, refusing to identify opponents that have built-in victories. ``We lost four games last year - two to [Group AAA Division 6 state runnerup] G.W. Danville, to [Group AAA Division 5 semifinalist E.C. Glass] and to [Roanoke Valley District champion] Pulaski County.
``A lot of times, people look only at the record. I could have come here, said we were weak and watered the schedule down to build confidence.''
The Patriots didn't. Until they played Magna Vista and Salem last year, both perennially strong teams, PH hadn't played schools below Group AAA.
Scott also inherited many of Vaught's assistants. Three - Jeff Johnson, Tommy Jones and James Jones - are still key members of the staff. He also was able to work with veteran trainer Tim Bane, who started as a friend of Vaught's until finishing on the other side during the stormy end to the 1989 season.
``Ed's kind of quiet, he doesn't say a lot,'' said Bane of the transition. ``I just assumed he was sizing things up. He's a lot like me in that he's hard to get to know. To be honest and not derogatory, I don't want a lot of people to know how I am.''
These two worked closely with the help of PH principal Betty Lee and the booster club to establish the weight room and a program. ``When Ed arrived, all that we had were some weights in the field house and they were in terrible shape,'' said Bane.
``Now I think we have a weight room comparable to anybody's. We have a nice practice field. The biggest thing is that Ed took it upon himself to do the field personally.''
If Scott doesn't show his emotions, he is not the ice man that he appears to be. He has taken up golf as an emotional release and as a way to get to know people.
``Ed's not a conversationalist. Basically, he's shy until you get to know him,'' said Frankie Scott. ``He keeps a lot of things to himself, half of which I don't know goes on with his players unless I ask him. He doesn't bring things home with him.''
PH has improved on its record every year so far under Scott. Bettering last year's 8-4 mark that included the Patriots' first playoff victory under Scott won't be easy. Then Scott has faced nothing easy since coming south five years ago.
by CNB