Latest / Huddle Up! / Huddle Up! Season 1, Episode 4
Transcript
- Paul Durham: This is Paul Durham and welcome to Huddle Up, the Wilson Times Sports Podcast. I'm here today with Barton College football head coach Chip Hester after the Bulldog season opening game Thursday night in Ettrick Virginia at Virginia State. Barton lost 44 17. And they have a home game, the home opener, this Saturday at 7 p.m. against Shaw at Truist Stadium. Coach Hester, let's talk about Thursday night. You guys were in that game. It was 2317 going to the fourth quarter, and the Trojans scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to pull away to what looked like a bit of a one-sided 44-17 win. But like I said, 21 points in the fourth quarter. I just wanted to get your thoughts on where things went wrong for you guys in that game. And then also, you guys were right in it. You got to be pretty happy with some of the things that you did do. Chip Hester: Yeah, I think you're exactly right, Paul. We had some good things happen. you know, I thought for three quarters we hung in there and competed pretty well and then the fourth quarter got away from us a little bit. you know, I think if you look at the game, we gave up big plays on defense and and couldn't quite finish the deal on offense and not not quite consistent enough on offense. So you know, having said that I thought we did some good things on the defensive side. I thought w you know, we caused a couple turnovers. you know, on offense we had some really critical drives when we really needed it to to stay in the ball game. So yeah, special teams, I thought we did some good things. We had some freshmen step up, a kind of a late call up, if you will. we had our starting starting kicker have some issues in in physically and couldn't couldn't couldn't compete on on Thursday night. So not not pleased with the outcome. but I'm pleased with the way we started. Now we've just got to learn to finish and we've got another opportunity coming up really quickly. Paul Durham: coach, did you know, one good thing about the thing is they really outgained you guys quite a bit on offense, but you still managed to make it stay tough or stay close by by hanging tough in there. how did you feel about you said the defense did some good things. How do you feel overall? Because it was a little of a bend, don't break. but how do you feel about the defense and who were some of the guys that really stood out for you guys on the defensive side? Chip Hester: Yeah, I I I you know, I think as you look at the ball game, I mean, we were doing some really good things. They just hit some big plays on us. So we had w if we don't give up some of those big chunk plays, you know, early on, the first play of the game, they I mean that quarterback is good for Virginia State. I mean, he put the ball on the money and and had some really really outstanding plays, but you know, so You know, you look at it and you say, Man, we did some good things, created some turnovers, had some had some big hits in there. You know, I think it was more team defense than than individuals. we had, you know, guys guys up front that I thought played really solidly, our linebackers I thought played really solidly. We had some secondary guys come up and make some big plays. Alex Evans was one that that, you know, had caused one of those turnovers. I and then, you know, offensively we didn't have the big plays. we had a couple of sustained drives and then late in the game, you know, we're pressing a little bit and probably forced a couple of things and created they created a couple turnovers on us and that's when it got away from us in the end. Paul Durham: we talked about this going into the season. This is probably the the biggest challenge in terms of personnel that you may have had as a as a college football coach with the number of new players that aren't just freshmen coming in from a lot of guys in the transfer portal. I believe you told me you lost fifteen players in the portal and you gained sixteen. And that's not counting the guys who graduated or moved on or el eligibility expired. That having been said, when you go into college football season, you don't get high school like high school scrimmages, you don't get a chance to see your guys compete against anybody else. You have not had that chance until Thursday night. Given that was your first opportunity to see a lot of guys in an actual game setting against an opponent, not just the the spring game, how did you feel about the team that you've put together so far? Chip Hester: Right. Yeah, I was talking with Dr. Frazier, their coach, after the game and I think he feels like they're gonna be a really good football team. And I and I would agree with him. They are man, they're tough. They've got really good personnel in all positions. but I think I think he feels like we're a lot better than we were last year. If you look at the you know, you know, Paul, I'm not a big stats guy, but if you do look at the stats from last year to this year, even even you know, with the score being what it was all the stats were better this year than last year and that's you know not a not a a moral victory, but it's just where we are. I you know, we had guys you know, Tyler Davis on offense made a outstanding play early in the game on a on a big touchdown catch. you know, Cam E step I thought did some really good things at quarterback. We had some other guys come in and run the ball pretty well. so There there are some signs of of doing some good things and doing some things correctly. we've just got to continue to get better and you know, I I feel like our culture on the team is is good and it'll be tested this week to see after we've had a a negative outcome to see you know, if we can put that behind us and and work on the next thing. But but I I'm encouraged. Paul Durham: All All right, you've got the home opener Saturday night against Shaw. You guys have never played Shaw in football as far as I know. what can you tell me about the Bears? I'm sure you've already delved into what you need to do to try to beat them and and how you feel about your team going in this home opener. It's a lot of excitement at Truist Stadium on game nights and hopefully you'll have a big crowd on a Saturday night. I know everybody's looking forward to that. Chip Hester: Yeah, we're looking forward to to starting this it's a it's a home stand. We've got several games in a row where we're at home and so that's that's exciting. we you know this Shaw team, you're right, we've never played they played Fayetteville State this past this past Saturday and played extremely well. th Fayetteville State put a put a touchdown on at the very end, to make it a little bit w more one sided, but for Heck, they were up twelve to zero on Fayetteville State, who's picked to be at the top of the CIAA with Virginia State, Virginia Union and those guy and Johnson C. Smith. So they've got twenty-eight transfers, and and they've got a coaching staff that's basically a bunch of them are from Virginia State. And so you know they know what they're doing. They've learned from a a really good good head coach and Doctor Frazier up at at Virginia State. So as I watched the game, it w they had a live feed of it, on Saturday night, I I was very impressed. they've got some talent, they've got some size. I think this is gonna be a good test for us. and and I think our you know it'll be a good test to see where our mentality is. Are we gonna compete? Are we gonna get frustrated? and and I I think I know how our guys are gonna react, but but we've gotta we've got to do that every day in practice this week so we're we we're prepared and and and we put our best foot forward. Paul Durham: Absolutely. A road loss against a team like Virginia State's is no cause for panic for sure, but obviously you don't wanna, you know, have some bad habits ingrained and then start getting out of hand, especially with the schedule you've got coming up in the conference and without outside of the conference as well. coach, I did want to ask you though, things have been a little bit different for you. You have taken on the role of Barton Athletic Director for the first time, and you're doing it while you're also coaching the football team to replace Ken Tyler, who stepped down this summer as AD at Barton. And I just want to ask you, how are things going? Because I think the the women's soccer and men's soccer teams kicked off their seasons this weekend. And you had a volleyball tournament on campus, so a lot going on. How are things going for you in that regard? Chip Hester: Well, th the great thing that we've got is we've got a a bunch of great a team of great people here on on campus and you know, Warren Schumate, the men's lacrosse coach has also taken on some some administrative duties and he has really stepped up in a big way. Kayla Byrne, who who will not be with us going forward, she's gonna take another position as well, but she's stepped up. Andrea Cuthrell is come back to the athletic department and then you've got, you know, folks from across campus that have that have helped out. And so it's a team effort and any anytime you're successful in anything, that's what you need is a good team effort. But it has been a really busy time. A lot of you know just just like a a football team, a lot of new faces in some different roles and and we're all trying to figure those things out. But but you know it it's I I've always said that the the fall is such a great time because the the students are back on campus. There's energy, there's some positivity and and it's been fun for me. I've always enjoyed watching the other teams compete and any time any time I can. And so I've enjoyed getting to know our coaches here on campus even better and watching them do their thing and watch volleyball get their first win of the season this weekend and looking forward to to a a really a great fall. we've got a great great group of folks and I I'm excited about what the future holds for for Barton athletics. Paul Durham: Yeah, I was gonna say it's an exciting time for Barton College Athletics. You got women's field hockey coming back for the second season this year. you got triathlon starting this year. I don't know how much of a spectator sport that is, but for people in the community, there are lots of opportunities to see really high quality athletic competition, Barton soccer, volleyball, the field hockey. I know that's probably not something a lot of people around here know about, but it's a great place to go and watch and learn. the sport. and then, you know, of course, football and and it's more of the revenue type sports that people are used to going. But I mean, there's all kinds of action going on at Barton almost every day of the week during the school year in terms athletics. and it, you know, I think it's gotten a lot of support from the community, but just a reminder to folks out there, most of these events you don't even charge a mission to get into. So it's a it's a great opportunity to see really high quality athletics right here in Wilson. Chip Hester: Yeah, I I completely agree, Paul. We we have I mean, if you come, especially come with your family. it it's it's good family entertainment. It's easy to get in and out. yeah, you're right. We we charge very little for for most of the sports when we do charge and you know it's it's easy to get in and get out. you know, I I would also plug our Bulldog Club. You know, we we need more folks in our Bulldog Club. We need the support. we're a small college and so we need We need we need help to to run things and to be competitive and so that that's one of the things I'm excited about because I think we can grow Barton athletics and we want to be Wilson's home team and we want people to be here. they'll they'll fall in love with our student athletes and the level of competition is really high. And I think they'll enjoy their their time if they if they come spend spend an afternoon or evening with us. Paul Durham: Well, coach, I really appreciate you taking time to talk with me today and check in about Barton football and Barton sports in general. And hopefully we we'll get to check back with you during the season and certainly throughout the year here on the podcast. And I look forward to talking with you next Saturday night after your game against Shaw. Chip Hester: Paul, thank you. Always enjoyed talking with you. Paul Durham: All right, coach, take care.