Sports

Easley High Coach Wants "Timeless" Team

Head Coach Grayson Howell has challenged his first Green Wave to be a "team for the ages."

Easley High School Head Football Coach Grayson Howell wants his first Green Wave team to be “a team for the ages.”

Howell spoke to Easley Chamber of Commerce members Thursday afternoon about what he and his staff are trying to instill in their players this year.

“We've really challenged our guys to be timeless this year,” Howell said.

Find out what's happening in Easleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

During the team meeting before the start of the season, the football team has shown a special slideshow.

“Timeless moments, timeless people or timeless teams,” Howell said. “Things that we all remember from our lifetime. People remember the 1992 Dream Team – who was on that team and what they did as a basketball team. People around here remember the (Clemson) 1981 National Championship Team in football, the back-to-back National Championships for Carolina for baseball. We just kind of went through that. A picture of the 1972 Easley High School State Championship Team - we showed that. And we ended with a state championship ring.”

Find out what's happening in Easleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Howell said he didn't know if a state championship was attainable this year or not.

“But if it is, they'll forever be remembered,” Howell said. “That's what we challenged them to do – to be a group that people will never, ever forget. That's our goal, to be a group that's timeless – a team for the ages, in a positive way.”

Howell's grateful for the chance to begin getting to know the team in February.

“I've had the opportunity to get to know our guys before spring practice even started and to build relationships with them prior to the start of practice and kind of weeding out who's who and what's what and who you can depend on and who you can't,” he said. “You find that out when you're in the weight room with them every day.”

He said the weight room was the most essential part of any football program.

“Nobody loves being there,” Howell said. “You might have a handful guys who love being there, but you'll find the guys who are willing to fight through what you ask of them in there. You'll find out how you can depend on.”

Spring practice was held in May.

“Our guys have been asked offensively to learn an entirely different system, which was been difficult at times,” Howell said. “It's been very difficult for our kids. They've gone from a system where everybody kind of lined up at the same spot all the time and they were always going forward in a running game. Now we're trying to be a little more balanced and throwing the football and running them all at the same time.”

The team has hung in there, Howell said.

“They've worked fairly hard,” he said. “They haven't embraced the work as I would like them to yet. We'll continue to push and try to get that out of them. It's our job as coaches to put them in the best possible position to be successful, not only on the field but as people, as they contribute to society and the community. That is our highest priority. We will pour ourselves into our young men to make them guys who you'll be proud of and guys who will represent this community in the right way.

“If they don't, they're not going to be a part of this program,” Howell continued. “That doesn't mean we won't have some tough love here or there. That doesn't mean we're going to get rid of every kid the first time they make a mistake. I don't know if that teaches them about grace; I don't know if that teaches them about unconditional love.”

This year's team will give players who haven't much opportunity to play a chance to step up.

“I know we lost like 32 seniors from last year,” Howell said. “But you just kind of jump in and go to work, you don't really like about it. We've got about four starters coming back on both sides of the line – which is not a lot.

“I should have thought about that a little bit before I said yes,” he said, drawing big laughs from the crowd. “We have a lot of seniors who are going to fill holes for the seniors who left – but they are seniors who have not played significant, meaningful minutes.”

He said he's been “in that boat” as a player himself.

“We've got some guys, the first couple of games, who are going to have figure that out,” Howell said. “All of a sudden, they're the one that has to make that tackle, they're the one that has to make that block, for us to be successful. If they can't do it, they're going to find a sophomore in their spot or they're going to find a freshman in their spot.”

He said the seniors will be given “every opportunity to win those spots.”

“We'll find out if they can get the job done.”

He asked the fans to be supportive of the team – win or lose.

“It's really easy to buy a $6 ticket and sit in the stands and complain and critique and denigrate what's being done by 16 and 17 year olds on a Friday,” Howell said. “There's not a whole lot of people in this world to put what they do on a day-to-day basis on display 12, 15 times a year for everybody to see. We ask for your support in every possible way. We know we're going to throw when you think we ought to run sometimes and we're going to run when you think we ought to throw sometimes. Just mutter it under your breath – and then clap.”

Howell believes God has called him to Easley and that his team is fortunate to be in a program that will do things right and let them have the best experience of their life.

“We want them to have an A-1 experience,” Howell said. “We are a one-school town.”

Sumter, where Howell worked before accepting the head coach position at EHS, had two other high schools within a 15 minute drive of Sumter High.

“So on Friday night, we were a community that was really fragmented, because people were going to all these different places,” he said. “Here, we're all riding down Highway 8 to the same place. That's incredible. It's wonderful to be in this community.”


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Easley