YORKTOWN, VA (WTKR)- At Grafton, two head are better than one when it comes to the head coaching position of the Clippers' football program. Sure, it may be unconventional, but it's all about what works in their locker room.
"We may be the only school, the only school I know of, to have co-head coaches," said Max Bolton, who is half of the head coaching tandem.
Bolton and Creighton Incorminias are sharing the big chair for the Clippers, serving as co-head coaches. The two found themselves in the position when new head coach David Coccoli stepped down during the offseason and since then, they've attacked the opportunity head on.
"It's been great," laughed Incorminias. "There's a lot of things I can... 'Max, you got this."
"It works for us," Bolton added. "It's one of those things that we've been around each other. We're basically family."
This is the latest chapter in a relationship that dates back several decades. Bolton played for Incorminias at Bethel, winning a state championship in the mid-1990's. The two remained close throughout the years and now embrace the chance to be equals, teaming up to lead a program together. The two feel like they compliment each other well.
"I told him he's gotten a lot softer in his older age," smiled Bolton. "It means the world to me. He's taught me a lot."
"As he says, I've gotten softer the older I've gotten and he's [energetic and always going], so we make a good compromise," Incorminias added.
The two head coaches will tell you that buy-in from the players has been strong in the early going of camp. Bolton and Incorminias share a goal of being a united coaching staff, especially to group of Clippers craving some stability.
"I've had about four different coaches," said senior Gabriel Sanchez. "These guys, they put a lot of their time in so they make a lot of sacrifices for us which I really appreciate."
Bolton and Incorminias now take aim at re-branding Grafton football, a program that has just three wins since the start of the 2017 campaign and enters this season with only four seniors on its roster. The tandem at the top says it will not measure success by wins and losses alone. Both hope to see the Clippers grow as players and people over the course of the fall.
"They will come along," Boldton said. "One thing we do have is we have some guys that want to work hard and as long as you want to work hard, we tell them hard work beats talent all day when talent doesn't work hard and that's basically what we're looking at."
"We've always had talent," Sanchez pointed out. "I really think that the coaching is what held us back the past couple years, but I think we have a lot of talent, a lot of young talent, a lot of good guys and I think we can go as high as we want to go as hard as we work."
Grafton kicks off its season on September 2 at Denbigh.
