PCHS Warrior Football Team Gets Ready For First Scrimmage On August 13th

Dunmore, WV – I had a chance to visit with Head Coach Mike Knisley of the Pocahontas County Warrior Football Team. I asked the coach how things are going thus far.

“Things are going well” he says. “Weather has cooperated a lot more this week; a little bit cooler, you like to get used to the heat but as hot as it was last week, you really can’t work the kids the way you need to try to get them ready for our first scrimmage coming up this Saturday, let alone our first game on the 26th. So we’re real happy the weather cooled off, and you can push them a little bit harder, and you get a lot more stuff accomplished.”

I reminded Coach that when we last talked, he had some concerns about Special Team. And I asked him how Special Teams are coming around.

“A little bit, we’re still putting in some of our team stuff, special teams, a lot of that is specific personnel” says Coach Knisley. “I mean anything coverage even if it’s a punt return there’s no need having one of your big tackles running down the field 40 or 50 yards, so we talk to them (the players) sometimes that’s a chance for some of the younger players to get on the field for a play, you know, a chance to earn a Varsity Letter for a freshman or sophomore. But looking at kicking wise the kids that are actually going to be doing the kicking for us, they start separating themselves. We always do a little open try out to see who wants to try to do what. But yeah, it’s all setting in, it’s a big part of the game, we emphasize it, we dedicate an hour every day to just special teams.”

Coach says that their first scrimmage is coming up soon and I asked him for particulars.

“We are at James Monroe High School, that’s about 15 miles south on Union on US 219. It’s Saturday at 11am.”

I ask him if this is something the public can go and watch.

“Oh yeah, it’s open, I can’t say one way or the other if they will charge, some schools you go to a scrimmage they charge a couple bucks at the gate or something like that” he says “I have no idea if James Monroe will be doing that, most places it’s free if you go to a scrimmage but sometimes it’s not but yea, it’s open to the public.”

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