NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Granby has struggled on the football field in recent years, but a fresh face at the top is providing a new shot of energy into the Comets' program.
"Pride is back," new head coach Kendal Jefferson said. "That was the biggest thing we wanted to do is bring pride back to Granby."
Jefferson says he enjoys challenges. He's found one in building back the Comets, who have not won a game since 2019. Step one for the new lead man and his assistants was putting that negative energy to bed.
"When I first started, the first meeting we had with the coaching staff was we don't talk about anything negative for Granby in the past," he noted. "If we're going to talk about the past with Granby... we're going to talk about the great tradition that they have here. Other than that, we don't talk about negative things."
Now the Comets have the look of a program on the rise. Stop by a practice at the school and you'll notice that the energy is high, as are the number of student-athletes. A team that would have anywhere between one and two dozen players at any given point last season now sports a roster of more than 60 players.
"The guys that were already here, some of them just started getting more locked in," Jefferson pointed out. "When you get a nucleus of guys that are coming everyday like they're supposed to and locking in, it starts to pull other guys in."
"I think our chances are great," added senior quarterback Christian Post. "We've got 50-plus guys out here ready to work, step up. They'll varsity or JV. It doesn't matter, but we're here to dominate."
Post was a member of last year's squad that finished 0-10, including a forfeit due to lack of players. His attitude reflects the belief this Comets' team has in itself. It's a belief that starts at the top and trickles down.
"He's a good coach," the quarterback said of Jefferson. "He's getting on guys and making sure they're coming to practice, he brought great guys with him to coach individuals, so I see good things coming."
"If we show them just how much we believe in them, how much we believe in this program and our product, then they're going to believe," pointed out the head coach.
When asked about what would make this season a success, Jefferson didn't hesitate to say he wants to lead his team to a playoff appearance. That will happen the same way he's building the program back up- one step at a time.
"We don't care about down the road and who we've got to play later on," he said. "It's all about getting prepared for who's in front of us and as long as we lock in to what's in front of us then that's all that matters to us."
Granby kicks off the 2023 season on August 25 when the Comets host Denbigh at Powhatan Field.
