New Burns, Brevard coaches trying to make adjustment

First-year interim Burns head coach David Devine and first-year Brevard coach Mark Barnes can definitely agree on at least one thing.

It isn’t easy to replace successful, long-tenured coaches.

Especially when your first season begins by losing a bunch of starters from the previous year’s team.

Devine came on staff with the Bulldogs in 1999 and was the defensive coordinator until stepping up to replace long-time coach Ron Green, who is out this season after having knee replacement surgery.

Devine also played on Green’s 1994 state championship team and was a two-way starter---at center on offense and linebacker on defense---so he knows the history of Burns football (which currently has six straight playoff appearances, including state quarterfinal losses in 2004 and 2006) better than anyone.

And he is finding out how tough it is to replace 16 starters from last year, including converted quarterback Keron Phelps, who is now playing defensive back at Gardner-Webb, and skilled utility man Donta Hopper, now a Guilford College defensive back.

Devine said that though he can’t completely control his team’s wins and losses, he is focusing on the things he can control.

“I give 110 percent of everything I’ve got every day,” Devine said. “No day’s different for me, no matter whether we’re winning or losing. The kids know I’m going to give then everything I’ve got every day. I’m never going to take a day off.”

Barnes, who spent 16 years at Scotland HS, and has 20 years of experience overall as a head coach, replaced retired coach Dan Esselberg, under whom Brevard had 39 wins in the last four seasons.

Brevard also lost a slew of players from last season, including their starting quarterback, running back, three linebackers, and three offensive linemen (including Brian Owens and Taylor Perez, both currently playing at Mars Hill College.)

Barnes, who said he is still getting used to to having guys playing on both sides of the ball at Brevard, knows his team is still adjusting to the new spread offense he brought in, as opposed to the power-I the team had been using.

“It’s a new system with a new coach, and there’s an adjustment period going on,” Barnes said. “But the guys have worked hard, and I hope our best days are in front of us.

“Most importantly, we want to make sure we’re getting better. We expect to have a chance to win each Friday night we take the field, and we know we’re going to have to play well to do that. We expect to have a chance to compete in our conference too; that’s what our community expects, and that’s what our players expect.”