Fishburne Football – In the Press

Article Pulled from The News Virginian!

By Robert Sisk

Published: August 31, 2009

The Fishburne football team has revamped its coaching staff and predicts an improvement from last year’s 2-7 season. The Caissons didn’t have to do any recruiting, either. The new, mostly young, coaches came to them.

“We have a brand new coaching staff,” said Fishburne coach Val Gochenour, who is one of only two returning coaches. “We raised the staff from three to seven, including volunteers.”

Included in the upgraded staff is a former Roanoke Catholic assistant football coach, a former Massanutten assistant football coach, a former Waynesboro High School graduate and a former Fork Union graduate.

“We’re very lucky to be able to pick up some quality coaches,” Gochenour said. “A lot of them showed interest, like Mike Pyle. He does some traveling for us.”

Pyle is the former coach from Roanoke who is now the offensive coordinator for the Caissons.

“I was with Roanoke Catholic for the past four years and we were 8-0 against the military schools,” Pyle said. “I was always impressed with the heart these kids have on the field, they always played up until the very end. I was impressed so much that I wanted to be a Caisson.”

Pyle is hoping to do more than just set up the offense for Fishburne.

“I want to inspire and achieve,” Pyle said. “I hope we have an opportunity to come from behind, so I can teach these kids to get back up, to achieve their aspirations.”

Richard Chiarolanzio, now the defensive coordinator and assistant coach, left Massanutten Military Academy to join the ’Burne.

“I was at MMA for the last five years,” Chiarolanzio said. “The difference between the kids at MMA and here is that these kids really work hard, but the biggest difference is the

environment. The coed versus non-coed. Their mindset is better here.”

Chiarolanzio’s past life at Massanutten isn’t going to get in the way of coaching the boys at Fishburne though.

“I enjoyed getting to know them,” Chiarolanzio said. “Some I’ve coached against, but now I’m just part of this team. I don’t even mention that other place to them.”

One thing that Chiarolanzio is looking forward to when it comes to Massanutten is the Saber Cup game. The Caissons and the Colonels have played for the Saber Cup for years.

“Oh yes, it will be fun,” Chiarolanzio said. “Every year it’s either at Massanutten’s homecoming or Fishburne’s Parents-Military Weekend. I’m 4-0 for MMA’s homecoming and I plan to run my streak to five as part of a different team.”

Another addition to the Caissons is Ernest Morgan, a Waynesboro High graduate who’s coaching the receivers, tight ends and defensive backs. A man of few words, Morgan didn’t want to give away any of the Caissons secrets.

“We’re just going to get it done,” Morgan said. “It’s all about teamwork and dedication, 100 percent.”

Morgan, though local, came in from coaching at Newport News to join Fishburne.

“It was a change from Newport News,” Morgan said. “I’m excited about this season; we’re ready to go get it.”

The Caissons lose many talented players from last year’s team, but the most difficult loss was of the kicker, Eddie McKay.

Fishburne had no back up planned for this loss, but a player who was assumed to be benched came in with perfect timing.

“Jordan Wittig is a returner, but because of all his concussions, the only thing he can do is kick,” Gochenour said.

Senior Jordan Wittig came to find out that although he has a weak head, from four concussions, he also has a strong foot.

“I have some big shoes to fill,” Wittig said. “I’ve only been kicking for four weeks. My concussions keep me from playing anywhere else.”

Something as serious as a concussion might scare other athletes, but Wittig isn’t a typical athlete. He has no fears of being on the field.

“If I’m on kick off and somebody comes running down the field,” Wittig said. “I’m still going to hit them.”

Coach Donny Outlaw, the former Fork Union graduate and kicker, is the one to applaud for getting Wittig into kicking shape.

“Coach Outlaw was ranked top 10 in the state when he played,” Wittig said of his new mentor. “He’s helping me out a lot.”

“Jordan’s worked over the summer and had a few little kinks,” Outlaw said. “But he’s coming along pretty good. He’ll be the field goal kicker and punter; he may be on kick off too. He just needs to get a little confidence and he’ll be fine.”

Outlaw doesn’t take special teams for granted, like most football coaches do.

“It’s one third of the game,” Outlaw said. “Everybody takes special teams lightly, but we’re not going to do that anymore.”

The Caissons haven’t just improved their coaching staff, the team itself is a big improvement from last year.

“Our team might not be big,” Wittig said. “But we have never been this together before. In all my five years, I’ve never seen a team like this.”

Wittig isn’t the only returning player who sees improvement in his peers. One of the Caissons’ captains, Joey Clare, sees major changes being made amongst his team.

“Last year we had a lot of players that were out for themselves,” Clare said. “This year we’re more of a team and we’re more motivated. The new coaching staff has a lot to do with that. The old coaches used to complain a lot and now they fix it real quick and get on with it.”

Clare, along with the rest of his team and the coaches, is ready to play some football already.

“I’ve been looking forward to this season since the summer,” Clare said.

“This particular group of boys may not be the most talented,” Gochenour said. “But they are the best team I’ve had. They just seem to mesh. It’s a big difference from past years.”