CLIMAX – Anything awkward about an August coaching change for Providence Grove’s football team isn’t a primary concern for interim coach Mark Heilig.
There’s a fast-approaching season to prepare for.
“My head has been spinning a little bit,” Heilig said. “(The amount) of time has been the big thing. There are so many things to do.”
Heilig, a longtime assistant coach, has taken the position vacated by David Hayes, whose resignation Aug. 2 resulted in a trickle down of changes.
That evening, Heilig was overseeing an open practice as part of the community night event on campus.
Now it’s a bit of a mad dash for the Patriots, who begin the season Aug. 23 at home against East Davidson.
“It was a little bit of a struggle because everything happened so fast,” Heilig said. “When you change like we did, we had to tweak some things trying to implement stuff. We had a good plan, but we had to tweak the plan.”
Hayes coached one season at Providence Grove, with the Patriots going 6-5 last year with a first-round exit in the Class 2A state playoffs. The Patriots tied for third place in the Piedmont Athletic Conference with a 2-3 mark.
Hayes, a Trinity alum, is a former Asheboro assistant football coach and head girls’ basketball coach. Hayes spent three seasons at Asheboro under football coach Kevin Gillespie before following him to Thomasville.
The shifting of the Providence Grove staff extends behind Hayes, who had been the offensive coordinator as well. Defensive coordinator Rick Larrick also departed along with Hayes.
Heilig is beginning his 31st season as a football staffer. Before arriving at Providence Grove, his stops included about eight years at Eastern Randolph.
Heilig, who had been working specifically with linebackers, will be directing the offense. The defense will operate more under a coaching committee, though athletics director Cody Moran, who has been on the football staff, will likely call the defensive sets-up on game nights.
It’s a largely young staff, with two first-year assistant coaches. Three former Providence Grove players are on the staff.
Another topic to be addressed is the player turnout. About 45 players came out to participate, split almost evenly between varsity and junior varsity.
“We were low on numbers before Coach Hayes left,” Heilig said. “We’re going to need some people.”
Two days after the coaching change, Heilig and remaining staff members spent about six hours that Sunday meeting, he said. Things became more complicated when schools in Randolph County were barred from practicing Thursday and Friday because of concerns about the impact from what was Hurricane Debby.
The Patriots will participate in a multi-team scrimmage Monday at Southwestern Randolph.
“The kids have been great,” Heilig said of the players. “They’ve been working their tails off.”
Meanwhile, Heilig said he has received widespread support from coaches in the region, fielding numerous calls in the days since taking the new role.
“It has been a little challenging,” he said. “But without that community support … I can’t say enough about the support.”
Heilig had recently taken charge of directing a youth football program that feeds the school teams, so his time is spread thin.
Morgan Heilig, the youngest of the coach’s three daughters, graduated from Providence Grove in June. His wife, Amy, had been a teacher for 28 years before retiring at the end of the past school year from Liberty Elementary School.
“We thought we were kind of winding down,” said Mark Heilig, a physical education teacher and intervention teacher. “Now I’m starting over.”
