On Tuesday, January 8, Kempsville welcomed a new head football coach, Mr. Daryl Cherry. Cherry started playing football at Green Run High School and then went on to be the first on his team to receive a full scholarship and play for Liberty University. Over the last 17 years, he has been an assistant coach at various high schools such as Ocean Lakes, Green Run, and Tallwood.

Cherry entered Kempsville with plans to get the football program back on track and help the team prioritize academics first.

“We’re going to be committed. I’m going to be committed. We will have a mandatory study hall at the beginning of every single practice and conditioning. We need to fix this,” he said.

He also wants football players more focused on improving technique as well. “If you’re a skill guy and you want to get to college, in the next level, [you need to] do something else other than play Fortnite.”

When speaking to the prospective team, Cherry had some encouraging words. “Protect your teammates. Don’t give up. Don’t stay defeated. You are going to lose some battles, but you aren’t going to lose the war. One day, you’re going to be a husband, a father, a parent. One day you’re going to have a household to raise. Ask any father in here right now. They can’t quit. We’re raising men here at Kempsville.”

Coach Cherry wants to implement new structures when the season starts, making sure everyone keeps up with their grades, is on time to class, and are good examples within the school.

Cherry is inheriting a 56-game losing streak. Cherry has dealt with this before, however, when he began coaching Green Run in 2004. At the time, they had a 51-game losing streak.

“This is another opportunity, and I know what it’s going to take to get there,” he said. “I just need to get these kids to believe in themselves again.”