Preparatory football: capital hoping to return to normal Football

They then also lost coach Jon Carpenter, who resigned late last month after 11 seasons and 92 wins, including the 2014 state championship with a 13-0 record.

So there are a lot of songs to pick up as Capital takes the field in a three-week summer internship that started Monday in Kanawha County.

The children have come out and practiced normal care and learning, said longtime assistant coach Mark Mason, who has been directing the exercises this week at the University of Charleston Stadium. Basically, they’re just moving to where they left off last year.

Last year was just in the air and no one knew what was going on. Many of these children were confused about playing. Now they come back and return to normal.

Kanawha started the West Virginia County High School football season last year, and the first games were held on Oct. 7 due to the County’s COVID-19 state. In addition to this, Capital hit a two-week quarantine on October 21st to get a positive test for the team. Cougars hoped to get back on the field after that, but never.

It ended with an impressive eight-year run (2012-19) that included eight straight playoffs and 23 total post-season games, seven semi-finals, six straight trips in the playoffs, two appearances in the Super Six and the 2014 title, programs for the fourth school opening in 1989.

Overall, Carpenter had a 17-8 playoff record in 11 seasons.

So Cougars hasn’t been in this position for a while looking for a recovery period, but Mason hopes for the best.

We did what we need to do, in collaboration with the coaching staff and what’s best for our kids at this point, Mason said. It’s almost where it is right now.

Personally, I think many of these kids have had things where they have had to deal with homeschooling and didn’t know we were going to play or not, or practice or not. Mentally, we try to get their minds back to having fun and return to normal.

Some of the best players returning to the capital include senior runner Shawn James, junior receiver Trenton Tiggle and sophomore Nate Erby (6 feet 5, 245 pounds).

Three games last year, James transported 27 times 112 yards and two touches and scored seven assists 115 yards and a second goal. As a backup in his freshman and sophomore seasons, James ran 70 times at 386 yards and six TDs. In his second year, Tiggle led the team to take last season’s eight catches by 95 yards.

Weve is getting some kids coming that will probably help us out, Mason said. Again, we just have to get them all to evolve and bring them back on track and have fun.

Mason is a candidate to become the capital’s official head coach while the program awaits instruction from Kanawha County schools.