NORFOLK, Va. - Friday night will be a reunion for the Maury High School and Booker T. Washington High School head football coaches.
When Commodores coach Dyrri McCain played at Maury, Bookers coach William Robertson was on the Commodores' coaching staff.
"Disciplined guy, does things a certain way, great motivator," McCain recalled about his former coach. "I'm pretty sure that he'll get guys to play for him, pretty sure he'll get the most out of the guys and have them ready to go, and we don't expect nothing less."
"A lot of guys on the staff, I coached them, and so it's a form of history for me," Robertson, who both played and coached at Maury, said. "I'm excited about it. I'm very proud of the coaching staff over there because I believe that I've put some things in them, but at the same time he's an excellent coach, Dyrri McCain, great guy and I'm looking forward to going against the state champions."
The Commodores won their state championship in December of 2019, so they will have a target on their backs this season as the defending champs, but McCain says that moment is now well in the past.
"It's been a long time, it's a different team, totally different atmosphere," McCain said. "I don't think that we can spend so much time worrying about that 2019 championship. We've gotta focus on 2021 and what we have now."
While Maury looks to continue its championship culture, Robertson looks to implement a fresh approach as a first-year Bookers head coach. Although, Robertson's approach is one he's taken over the course of his 30-plus years as a football coach.
"When I was at Maury, Norfolk Christian, even in Carolina, the same creed goes with me everywhere I go," Robertson said. "When you feel that everything's perfect and nothing can go wrong, fight hard. When you feel that everything that can go wrong has gone wrong, never give up. Fight 'till you can't fight anymore. That's my motto for life. You fight until you're gone.
"I'm looking forward to my guys going out there tomorrow night and fighting and giving me everything they have."
Friday night's 7 p.m. game between the Commodores and Bookers takes place at Booker T. Washington.
