When deciding who to interview for this season, Quinton Hensley was a no-brainer candidate. Having a playoff berth attributed to every year he has coached at RR along with three consecutive Region C Division 1 championships, Hensley is one of the top coaches in not just the district, but in the region and state as well. He transformed an already solid program into a perennial regional power.
Hensley was born in Atlanta, GA and went to high school in Asheville, NC. One of his fondest high school memories was back during his senior year when his team won the conference tournament as a #7 seed in basketball. Being the head coach at Rural Retreat was Hensley's first and only head coaching job. What a way to start out!
HogoOnline: Obviously tradition plays a big part in why anyone would want to coach the Indians. What other reasons influenced you to accept the job at RR?
Coach Quinton Hensley: The challenge and the opportunity to continue the tradition. I did not want it to go to an outsider.
HogoOnline: Rural Retreat already had a successful program when you took the reins, but not quite a regional powerhouse. Did you foresee having the immediate success your team did in the beginning?
Coach Quinton Hensley: I thought we could be good by the end of that first year-knew our QB was going to be special.
HogoOnline: To many coaches in the region, and state for the matter, winning three consecutive regional championships would be considered the pinnacle of a coaching career. Obviously the next step is making it to a state championship. Is that a goal you set each year for your team or is it more of a game by game philosophy?
Coach Quinton Hensley: We try to focus on getting better every day and hopefully be playing our best football by the end of the year. Our players have great work ethic and if they work hard together that is all we can ask of them.
HogoOnline: You have had the pleasure of coaching some of the Hogoheegee's finest athletes over the last several years. Matt Heldreth, David Harrison, Wyatte Pickett, Jonathan Hawkins, Justin Stoneman, and Jared Dix to name a few. For this year's squad, a lot of those names are missing, how do you think your young team this year will fill those gaps?
Coach Quinton Hensley: We still have a lot of good football players in our program, they just haven't made a name for themselves yet-- hopefully by the end of the year they will.
HogoOnline: Since you've been the boss for the Indians, their schedule has really been the meat and cheese of much of the region. Do you have a lot of say in who the Indians schedule and do you prefer the stiff competition over a sure win?
Coach Quinton Hensley: We would rather play good teams- you can't get better playing inferior competition all the time. We may never go 10-0, but we will be battle tested come playoff time. I do have a say in who we play-it will probably change a little next cycle but the philosophy will be the same.
HogoOnline: Do any games on this years schedule excite you more than others?
Coach Quinton Hensley: First time at Radford
HogoOnline: What excites you or impresses you about your team this season?
Coach Quinton Hensley: Potential.
HogoOnline: Lastly, the Rural Retreat community has rallied behind the Indians for decades back when Coach Dean Rhea was the coach. Do you see yourself coaching the Indians for as long as Dean Rhea did?
Coach Quinton Hensley: I hope I can! He is a hard act to follow for sure.
HogoOnline: Thanks again for your time Coach Hensley,
Best of luck this Friday.
Back to HogoOnline http://www.hogoheegee.com/
Subscribe To "The Hogo"
Posts
Comments
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment