Faith Christian football making name for itself
By PATRICK MASON
Sports Writer ROCKY MOUNT TELEGRAM
Nick Clark doesn’t go hunting as often.
Garrett Pannell hits a baseball less.
Russell Weinstein is part of the daily grind again.
Before this year, those parts of the Faith Christian School football team had the choice to spend Friday nights and after school however they wanted. Now, they’re intertwined in a mix of classroom settings and crunching collisions.
“I would go hunting just about every day after school,” said Clark, a senior. “Now I’m out here running around.”
Pannell, who was part of the Patriots’ baseball state champion this past spring, spent his falls preparing for baseball.
But when FCS announced in the fall of 2016 that it would field a football team the following year, a handful of athletes had to make schedule changes. And so did the school. The team practices on a finely cut field that used to be covered with trees. It took imaginitive minds to shoehorn the football facilities into their current locations.
A nearby soccer field had to become game ready for football. It needed goal posts, a fresh, correct paint job, and the addition of that tall tower teams use to record games and practices.
The weight room - a staple of every football team - had just a few dumbbells before being stocked by generous donors. In 1993, when Faith Christian School was founded, realistic plans of having a football team would be more than two decades away.
Fast forward to Tuesday where the Patriots are preparing for the biggest week of their careers. It’s easy to say when most players have only known four weeks of football - all of which ended in wins.
But this is where the Patriots find themselves, sitting on a perfect 4-0 record with in-town rival Rocky Mount Academy coming to play at their house on Friday. And while the Patriots have dispatched every opponent on their schedule, coach Weinstein cautions against thoughts of perfection.
“Nothing has been the best it can be, we’re not perfect,” Weinstein said. “We’re still searching for our identity. I’d say our defense is ahead of where our offense is, we have guys moving around, and we’re not settled by any means.”
Weinstein, a longtime teacher and coach of 34 years, was all but settled into retirement before the Patriots called. He began his coaching career as a defensive coordinator at Wilson Fike and went to Salisbury High School for a brief stop before coaching defense at his alma mater Tarboro High in 1988.
After a few more stops, Weinstein landed at Roanoke Rapids where he turned around a struggling program before retiring in 2013. He guided the Yellow Jackets to the first two playoff wins in program history, and he led the team to three straight conference titles, another program first.
“When Faith Christian initially called,” Weinstein said, “I thought it was from a consulting standpoint. They were starting a program, and they wanted to know what to look for in a coach, what needs do teams have, that sort of thing.
“A little ways down the road they called and wanted me to coach. I took 24 hours, talked with my wife, and now here we are.”
Football was brand new to just about everybody besides the coaching staff. Weinstein has coached at several established programs and helped some get off the canvas. But even he hadn’t had to coach true newbies.
Everything from putting on pads to learning how to decipher play calls was how the offseason was spent. Getting to know terminology was the primary goal. Running ghost routes, blocking imaginary men happened before it was time to add a ball.
“Even things like how to huddle up,” Clark said. “It seems easy, like some of those little things, but most guys have never done it before. We had to learn formations, where to stand, how to block, where to run. We started from zero. I don’t think we could have done this without the coach we have.”
Clark played running back through the offseason and got carries during a preseason jamboree. He hasn’t played there since. Instead, Clark is a versatile defensive end whose athletic ability is valuable against the pass and the run.
Pannell, a wide receiver and defensive back, had to learn about route trees and worked on timing. Both players have stood out to coaches in film sessions.
The Patriots (4-0) earned a three-point win in the opening week, before going on to blow out their next two opponents by a combined score of 109-26. A Sept. 15 win over Southampton, 28-22, felt good.
Then, RMA went on to beat Southampton 66-14 the following week. It’s the lone common opponent the two teams share. The Eagles think they have a team that can make a deep run in the playoffs.
And to say FCS hasn’t thought that far ahead isn’t a knock on the first-year program.
“We’ve come a long way already,” Pannell said. “Guys are really buying in and learning fast. All the guys on the field, when they heard that football was coming this year, it brightened our smiles up.”
Added Clark: “This is something I know I’ve wanted for a while. Being a senior, I’m not wasting this chance, and I think a lot of the guys feel the same way.”
By PATRICK MASON
Sports Writer ROCKY MOUNT TELEGRAM
Nick Clark doesn’t go hunting as often.
Garrett Pannell hits a baseball less.
Russell Weinstein is part of the daily grind again.
Before this year, those parts of the Faith Christian School football team had the choice to spend Friday nights and after school however they wanted. Now, they’re intertwined in a mix of classroom settings and crunching collisions.
“I would go hunting just about every day after school,” said Clark, a senior. “Now I’m out here running around.”
Pannell, who was part of the Patriots’ baseball state champion this past spring, spent his falls preparing for baseball.
But when FCS announced in the fall of 2016 that it would field a football team the following year, a handful of athletes had to make schedule changes. And so did the school. The team practices on a finely cut field that used to be covered with trees. It took imaginitive minds to shoehorn the football facilities into their current locations.
A nearby soccer field had to become game ready for football. It needed goal posts, a fresh, correct paint job, and the addition of that tall tower teams use to record games and practices.
The weight room - a staple of every football team - had just a few dumbbells before being stocked by generous donors. In 1993, when Faith Christian School was founded, realistic plans of having a football team would be more than two decades away.
Fast forward to Tuesday where the Patriots are preparing for the biggest week of their careers. It’s easy to say when most players have only known four weeks of football - all of which ended in wins.
But this is where the Patriots find themselves, sitting on a perfect 4-0 record with in-town rival Rocky Mount Academy coming to play at their house on Friday. And while the Patriots have dispatched every opponent on their schedule, coach Weinstein cautions against thoughts of perfection.
“Nothing has been the best it can be, we’re not perfect,” Weinstein said. “We’re still searching for our identity. I’d say our defense is ahead of where our offense is, we have guys moving around, and we’re not settled by any means.”
Weinstein, a longtime teacher and coach of 34 years, was all but settled into retirement before the Patriots called. He began his coaching career as a defensive coordinator at Wilson Fike and went to Salisbury High School for a brief stop before coaching defense at his alma mater Tarboro High in 1988.
After a few more stops, Weinstein landed at Roanoke Rapids where he turned around a struggling program before retiring in 2013. He guided the Yellow Jackets to the first two playoff wins in program history, and he led the team to three straight conference titles, another program first.
“When Faith Christian initially called,” Weinstein said, “I thought it was from a consulting standpoint. They were starting a program, and they wanted to know what to look for in a coach, what needs do teams have, that sort of thing.
“A little ways down the road they called and wanted me to coach. I took 24 hours, talked with my wife, and now here we are.”
Football was brand new to just about everybody besides the coaching staff. Weinstein has coached at several established programs and helped some get off the canvas. But even he hadn’t had to coach true newbies.
Everything from putting on pads to learning how to decipher play calls was how the offseason was spent. Getting to know terminology was the primary goal. Running ghost routes, blocking imaginary men happened before it was time to add a ball.
“Even things like how to huddle up,” Clark said. “It seems easy, like some of those little things, but most guys have never done it before. We had to learn formations, where to stand, how to block, where to run. We started from zero. I don’t think we could have done this without the coach we have.”
Clark played running back through the offseason and got carries during a preseason jamboree. He hasn’t played there since. Instead, Clark is a versatile defensive end whose athletic ability is valuable against the pass and the run.
Pannell, a wide receiver and defensive back, had to learn about route trees and worked on timing. Both players have stood out to coaches in film sessions.
The Patriots (4-0) earned a three-point win in the opening week, before going on to blow out their next two opponents by a combined score of 109-26. A Sept. 15 win over Southampton, 28-22, felt good.
Then, RMA went on to beat Southampton 66-14 the following week. It’s the lone common opponent the two teams share. The Eagles think they have a team that can make a deep run in the playoffs.
And to say FCS hasn’t thought that far ahead isn’t a knock on the first-year program.
“We’ve come a long way already,” Pannell said. “Guys are really buying in and learning fast. All the guys on the field, when they heard that football was coming this year, it brightened our smiles up.”
Added Clark: “This is something I know I’ve wanted for a while. Being a senior, I’m not wasting this chance, and I think a lot of the guys feel the same way.”
