Today’s interviewee is Monroe Area coach Kevin Reach, whose team is 6-0 and ranked No. 8 in Class 3A. Before coming to Monroe Area in 2017, Reach coached at Collins Hill, which he led to the 2010 semifinals with Taylor Heinicke as his quarterback. Heinicke led the Washington Football Team to a 34-30 victory over the Falcons on Sunday while passing for 290 yards. Reach attended the game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to watch his former star player.
Kevin Reach, Monroe Area head coach
1. Can you tell us about your Sunday and what you thought of Taylor’s performance? “Sunday was a great day. My son and I went to the game with my brother and nephew. Taylor always has tickets for his family and friends when they are available to attend his games. My brother Joey’s company has season tickets to the Falcons, and we chose to sit in the seats he had because they were better seats and closer to the field. Due to COVID, people are not allowed to get on the field for conversations, and I had to get back to work to continue to prepare with the staff for our next game on Friday night. I spoke to Taylor by phone after the game and told him how proud I was of him. Taylor is a special young man. I thought that he was cool, calm and collected for the majority of the game and had a great game and did what I have seen him do many times in high school, to college and now in the NFL.”
2. You are 43-10 since coming to Monroe Area. The program was 7-24 in the three seasons prior. This is a two-part question. First: What did you find at Monroe Area that allowed you to turn things around so quickly, and did you know it had that potential, or did it surprise you a little? “Monroe had a great nucleus from when Matt Fligg was there, and I always felt they had great athletes. What allowed us to turn this around was the fact that the principal, Brian Hicks, and the athletic director, Eli Connell, allowed me to bring my coaches from Collins Hill. I think that I have one of the best defensive coordinators in the state of Georgia, Larry Massey, along with Jason Conner, Brandon Myhand and many others that have joined me at Monroe. When I got to Monroe, I did a series of tests to give me insight into their athletic abilities, and I was very pleased that they had similar abilities to the athletes at the other programs I had been at. All we had to do was get them to buy into the program and understand what it takes to be a great football program and work hard. I feel that the kids at Monroe are tough kids and want to do well. And, it doesn’t hurt to have great quarterbacks like Chandler Byron and Selatian Straughter.”
3. Second: What were the most important things that you and the staff did that facilitated the turnaround? “The first thing we did was focus on the weight program and get the kids to believe in what it was going to take to win. Then, we had to build their confidence in themselves. The coaches that came with me are quality coaches who are men of integrity and invest in the boys not only on the field but in their lives. We have partnered with the town, the local 1025 Church and have our players involved in NG3 along with FCA, which teaches the boys to bring value to the team instead of just being a part of a football team. This combination has produced success.”
4. You’ve seen Oconee County, Pierce County and Cedar Grove among others while at Monroe Area. Is this what you expected from Class 3A? How would you assess this classification after having been in the highest class for so many years? “The teams that you have mentioned are great football programs and are as good as I have seen in 3A. I have been impressed with the talent that 3A has in it, especially at the top programs. I think that 3A has as good of talent as you will find in the 7A programs; however, 7A has a lot more depth than the 3A programs. In 3A, many of the athletes have to play both ways.”
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