Latest / Huddle Up! / Huddle Up! Season 1, Episode 1
Transcript
- Paul Durham: Hello everyone, this is Paul Durham and it's time to huddle up for the Wilson Times Sports Podcast, bringing you conversations with the coaches, athletes, and people who make our local sports special. Hello, my guest today is the new athletic director at Bettingfield High, Jeremy Howard, a 1995 graduate of Bettingfield who has been a teacher and coach at his alma mater for 21 years. Jeremy, who will coach girls golf and track and field this year, is one of several Bruins to return in a leadership role to their alma mater this year. And Jeremy, as we're on the cusp of another school year, tell me what is the vibe like at the field these days? Jeremy Howard: Well, it's it's an exciting time. you know, we we have some new pieces in place, coaching wise and even player-wise. We've had a big influx of freshmen in certain sports of like football and volleyball that's already started up. So It's an exciting time as we get closer to our, you know, first football scrimmage on the thirteenth and our first real volleyball match on the eleventh. things are really moving quickly, but like I said, it's an exciting time at Bettingfield right now. Paul Durham: Tell me a little bit about the Bruins Day that you just mentioned on the thirteenth. You've got a scrimmage with Northeast Carolina Prep, I think, at five o'clock. There's a whole lot more going on that day, isn't there? Jeremy Howard: Yeah, you know, this was kind of the brainchild of our our new coach, Coach Sams, Joshua Sims, and you know, just trying to get the community more involved. it's gonna be a just a day full of things. I mean we're gonna have a meeting. The Bruins, you know, wanna come out and meet some of the players. they'll be out signing schedules, you know, autographs, the schedules will be out. we'll have vendors set up all over the place, more than likely right outside the football field, near the softball bat and cage and in that grassy area. And yeah, you can come Thursday afternoon and make a day of it. You know, we're gonna start at one o'clock and a lot of that I don't wanna say is gonna conclude, but it's gonna kinda pour into the football field for our scrimmage from five to seven. But yeah, everything's gonna be up and running around one and then we'll finish the evening around seven and you know, we're bringing in the the host team, North East Carolina Prep, and we have a great rapport with them. I I just love their athletic director, Coach Willoughby, who was at Tarborough for so long, and current principal as well, Doctor F T Franks. Paul Durham: Yeah, he's a brewing. well Jeremy Howard: Yes, he is. Paul Durham: it tell me this. When was the last time that Beddingfield hosted a preseason football scrimmage? I think it's been a long time. Jeremy Howard: That's a great question. You know, as that's one I would have to look up and research myself. I know, you know, we've been to some jamborees. Even last year we went we played ACOC, I guess because of rain on a a neutral field out in Goldsboro. But yeah, it seems like the last, you know, a good amount of years we've been on the road. but it just kinda fell into our lap. you know, we North East Carolina Prep reached out and they said they had no objections to doing either one and so I spoke with Coach Sims and Coach Sims said, Hey, let's you know, host it right here. you know, at the Brewing Den and I called Willoughby back and they were more than willing, just figuring out a time and we've made it happen. So excite exciting time, like I said, you know, with some things moving in the right direction, we feel like. Paul Durham: Coach Sims has brought like an entire marketing department to Bettyfield Athletic Athletics, hasn't he? Jeremy Howard: Yeah, you know, that's that's his that's his callin, that's his go to. he he's good in that avenue for sure and and it's generating a lot of excitement, like I said, over on Old Stansburg Road and and and that's what we need, you know, we're gonna have to try to build this thing up from kind of the ground. Well maybe not necessarily the ground up, but but we d definitely have some building to do to try to get the momentum going again. Paul Durham: So tell me, Jeremy, what are you most excited about this coming year from an athletic standpoint? Jeremy Howard: I'm gonna tell you there's a number of things to be excited about, Paul. But you know, be being that we've just started you know, our first couple of seasons tryouts, football peaking I think at around, you know, close to forty. I think we've been somewhere between thirty five, thirty seven, maybe even at one point forty. and then I walk in the gym and, you know, for a good amount of years now at Bettingfield we've had to kind of share a couple of athletes, making sure they didn't go over their match limitation with volleyball, J V and Varsity, and walked in the gym and We got twenty two kind of dedicated girls in there right now. So for the first time in a long time. we're gonna have J V, Varsity, where no no athletes are gonna have to be shared. So I guess to answer your question, there's a lot of things to be excited about, but I'm really excited about kind of this youth movement. We got a lot of young kids is coming in, a lot of freshmen coming in from State and Darden, and they're coming in, Paul, from what I can see with both of these sports thus far, and they're skilled. They have I and that's a credit to s a lot of their middle school coaches. They're they're coming over With some skill already and we can mix them right in with some of our older talent. Paul Durham: What do you think is the cause of that? Do you think it's because of the pandemic sort of slowed middle school down and now that's sort of going again really good? but or or what do you think is is are the reasons behind this sort of uptick and participation that's certainly affecting you guys positively at Bettingfield? Jeremy Howard: Yeah, I mean that's certainly the hope. I mean a and that there may be a lot of truth behind that, you know, maybe kind of finally coming out of this pandemic and getting our numbers back up. But like you said d during the introduction, I think you said twenty one, yeah, yeah, yeah. It it runs together, I know, but this I've done twenty two years at Bettingfield now, so I'm entered I'm entering the I've done twenty one years, you're right, but I'm entering the twenty second now. and it's just one of those things where sometimes I've seen it being there. W we have some cycles where we have a a a very strong, when I say strong numbers wise, influx of freshmen and then some years where we don't get quite as many. but I think there's some definitely some validity there to what you're saying about the, you know, coming out of the pandemic and and people getting out and about and getting our numbers back up. Paul Durham: Well, you would know you were the coach of the two thousand twelve State two A softball champion and one of just two team titles state championships in Beddingfield history. So hey, you've been there, you've been at the top, you guys are a little bit of a valley now. I don't think it's as bad as it has been because you didn't have some school I mean, some teams I mean just didn't even have seasons around the pandemic. So you're back there. But tell me this, what's the biggest challenge still facing Bettingfield coaches and student athletes? Jeremy Howard: Well, I mean, and before I answer that question, I will anytime someone mentions the 2012 State Championship, I'd I'm always remiss if I don't they're they're the highlight of my coaching career. I've coached some great teams. I've coached in a major in a variety of sports, but I'll never forget that group and and what they brought, not necessarily to me, but to Bettingfield High School. Like I said, to go along with that O five, O six state championship undefeated team with girls basketball and Coach Pigram. But I'll never forget that team. but yeah, I think what what we're looking at, you know, challenges is we we are looking at a situation where, you know, things are just different now. I not saying they're good, not saying they're bad. even though there's no form of a transfer, you know, oftentimes these kids find their ways in into districts, you know, and and they it may be a legit move, I'm not saying that. But then there's other options out there that don't fall necessarily under the North Carolina High School Athletic Association umbrella that some look into. I said so I think one of the biggest challenges is we do have momentum right now with some of our programs, but and like I said, some of the youth are they're coming out and they're talented and I guess the biggest challenge is just trying to hold on to and let know that, you know, that that Bettingville's a diamond in a rough and And i i i if you can play, they'll find you. And I've always believed that no matter where you're at and and hopefully we can hold on to it. And I think that hold on to our, you know, student athletes we have now, I think that's gonna be a big key because you know, there there's always other options out there, but we we we hope they see it as, you know, betting field always being the best option for them. Paul Durham: No doubt. Left found Edward Farmer at Bettingfield and Dick Crumb found Dennis Barron at Bettingfield. I mean, it's it's been there have been Jeremy Howard: Right. Paul Durham: a lot of great athletes at Bettingfield over the years, and I think there's gonna be a lot more. So hey, I'm excited for you guys. Y'all have a big time event coming up on the thirteenth, and looking forward to another big season of Bettingfield Falls Sports. And and moving on into it. Thanks a lot for coming by, Jeremy, and I appreciate it. And hopefully we'll have you back here on Huddle Up sometime this year. Jeremy Howard: All right, sounds good, Paul. One last thing I'll say. I know I mentioned the two sports it's begun, but we're excited about men's soccer. We think those numbers are gonna be high. We got a lot of returners coming back from a playoff team, and we're looking at even at some of our I don't want to call secondary sports, but other sports. It's looking like our numbers are gonna amp up in cross country and other sports across the board in the fall. So we're excited. But yeah, once again, thank you. we thank you for all y'all are doing there at Wilson Times and and supporting high school athletics. Paul Durham: I will say this, you have a secret weapon in cross country. You have Mitch Hayes as the coach now. Jeremy Howard: Hey, I mean, it he he'll he he's there. I mean he he's loyal, he's always there, and he was willing to do it, so we're excited about he's he's hey he's gonna benefit you know with me moving over to golf, he he's gonna benefit from having a couple runners come in. We know we're getting one from Spate and one from Darden. that's on the guy's side. And then we have a couple girls runners back along with one or two we're gonna add from Spate. So yeah, our our numbers are gonna go up a little bit on on that side as well. So we're we're looking forward to it. Paul Durham: Awesome. Well Jeremy, great talking with you and we'll talk to you soon. Be brewing. Jeremy Howard: Hey, th that's all you can be around here. Paul Durham: All right, take care. Jeremy Howard: All right, have a good one.