GHSF Daily's Four Questions feature historically poses the same questions to a different Georgia head coach each issue. This season, head coaches are being asked Four Questions tailored to current events. Today's interviewee is Monroe Area head coach Kevin Reach, whose team defeated Pace Academy 36-15 last week and entered the Class AAA rankings at No. 6.
Kevin Reach, Monroe Area head coach
1. Monroe Area had some good teams a few years ago, but the victory over Pace Academy was the first victory over a ranked opponent since 2003. What is the significance of this victory for your team? "It was a great win for our team and our community. After we lost to Calhoun in the second round last year, we wanted to be a little more battle-tested than we were last year prior to going into region play. It was a great test to see how our boys would respond to playing a top-notch program. And they responded well."
2. Monroe Area averaged 10 wins per season from 2010 to 2013. What do you feel that you've brought to Monroe Area that has helped return the program to that level? "Matt Fligg [head coach from 2006 to 2013] did an excellent job and had a lot of success at Monroe. I felt like we needed to regain some of the commitment and excitement back to the team and the community. I have an excellent coaching staff, one of the best in the state, both on and off the field, with our defensive coordinator, Larry Massey; our offensive coordinator, Jason Connor; and Brandon Myhand, Thad Baxter and several other coaches from Collins Hill that have done a great job of building the program. The other key things have been getting the kids to buy into our weight-room plan and speed-and-agility programs along with discipline and most of all unity."
3. How is coaching at a school such as Monroe Area different than coaching at a big one such as Collins Hill? "I feel that Gwinnett football is one of the best competition in the state, maybe in the country. But I was shocked at how much raw talent there is here in Monroe. I loved my time at Collins Hill and coaching on the big stage, but there is something about this small-town community at Monroe that is energizing. The community loves Monroe football. The one thing that is disappointing is that I am not able to get the college recruiters in to this area like we did at Collins Hill. It is really a shame because there are so many college prospects here in Walton County."
4. Monroe Area has lots of good players, but it's hard not to notice the quarterback, Chandler Byron. What's your assessment of his talents. both as a force in high school football and a college prospect? "In the last 30 years, he is the best running quarterback I have coached. I think he is a great dual-threat quarterback who has an excellent chance of being successful at the next level. His demeanor and the way he carries himself, as well as how he has been under-recruited, reminds me of the quarterback I coached at Collins Hill, Taylor Heinicke [now the backup quarterback for the Carolina Panthers]. Chandler is a great competitor and leader on the field."
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