4 Questions With Trenton Football Coach Bill Wiles
We talk with Trenton football coach Bill Wiles about his experiences as a head coach, the expectations for the Tigers this year, how Trenton has been handling COVID-19, and the Tigers’ upcoming game against Dixie County.
Q: Coach, this season marks your 37th year of coaching and 28th year of being a head coach. Talk a little bit about your career and some of the programs you have coached at over the years.
A: I am blessed to have been able to do what I was called to do for as long as I have. I will forever be thankful to Richard Kennedy for giving me my first opportunity to teach/coach at Dunnellon HS in 1985. I was able to learn from the absolute best. A Hall of Fame coach. A better man. I am thankful that Ed Duluski took a chance on me by hiring me to be the head coach at Bell in 1988. I have been so fortunate to coach so many great kids, work with so many fine people and develop relationships (some that go back 37 years) because of this wonderful game that I coach. I have fond memories from every stop that I have made. I am thankful for Phil Fowler at Graceville. We had great players there that were even better young men. The school and community there was unbelievable. The coaches I was able to work with are some I still communicate with and love to this day. I have spent 18 years in Gilchrist County. I have so many friends here. My former principal at Trenton High School back in 1986 is now my superintendent, Dr. Jim Surrency. My former superintendent in Gilchrist County, Robert Rankin and I coached together at Bell back in the late 80s/early 90s. Everything goes back to relationships. I have string relationships here. Not only in the school business, but in the county. I have coached a bunch of kids in this county. A lot of them are now strong community people, parents, business leaders, in county and city government positions. I have deep roots in this county. My family and I are proud to be a part of this community. I am proud to be the head football coach at Trenton High School. It is an honor to serve the students and our community.
I have also coached at Lowndes High School in Valdosta. There is nothing like it. The SEC of high school football. I had the opportunity to be the assistant head coach/offensive coordinator for one of my best friends in football, Randy McPherson. Randy is a winner! I learned a ton from him.
I also am thankful to have crossed paths with Ted Roush at Branford High School. One of the best men and administrators that I have worked with. He and I remain very good friends. He is currently the superintendent in Suwannee County.
My time at Santa Fe High School was magical. Love will always win in the end, and my experience at Santa Fe only solidified that belief. We made some wonderful friendships there. I appreciate Michele Faulk for giving me the opportunity to be the head coach there. I coached some outstanding players and fine young men there. There was so much love in our program there. We had a lot of fun. It was a very special time to be a Raider. I absolutely loved it there. I will always claim Raider Pride.
I am currently the head coach at Trenton High School. Gilchrist County is home to my family and me. We have raised our son here. He is currently a junior defensive back and receiver. I am blessed to be coaching my son and kids I’ve known since they were tiny. This is a special time for me. A great time in my life. Crazy times: but we are trying to give the kids a positive experience.
Q: The 2021 high school football season is upon us, coach. What are your expectations for your team this year? Who are some players (offensively and defensively) we should keep an eye on as the season progresses?
A: We have a chance to have a good team this year. We have had some disadvantages from a football standpoint, but we are such a close-knit community and I have good relationships with the kids and parents. So we have a chance to have a good season and have some fun. This is the third year we have dealt with Covid situations. My seniors have barely known “normal”. I want the kids to work hard and focus on the task at hand. But more than anything, I want them to leave here with a great football experience. I want to win and have fun doing it! Tyler Perry and KJ Williams are very pleasant kids that are absolute dogs on the football field! Zach Braswell, Kyle Pollock, Jaron Riley and Caleb Gossman are all kids that can play the game and have the ability to have a huge impact on games. This is a big year for our seniors. Connor Balanis, John Cruz and Jalen Riess are talented kids that we need to get the best out of; all three have the ability to impact plays and games. We have simply got to develop a killer instinct. Our kids need to embrace the idea that it is OK to be a warrior. We need to develop toughness and the will to play harder longer! We have some experience in our underclassmen as well. Austin Roberts, Patterson Wiles, Zachary Dumas and Nathaniel Dumas are kids that have some experience, but need to really make a jump for us to be able to compete at a high level. Owen Yates, Alex Norman, Tavin Brown, Burt Corbin, Nick Dicpetris, Tony Anderson, Kendal Henry, Huntley Owens, Rogelio Juarez and Zay Thompson are all kids that need to develop, get better every day. They can contribute.
We are very thin. We need to develop depth as the season goes a long. Our intent is to be as good as we can be and get into the playoffs. Once you’re in the playoffs, anything can happen. We want to play as long as we can!
Q: Obviously, COVID-19 is still very relevant, coach. We have already seen a number of schools around the state have to reschedule or cancel games these first few weeks of the season. How have you guys been COVID wise? What precautions have you guys been taking in order to keep the players and coaches safe?
A: We are playing in the COVID era, unfortunately. We are dealing with a lot of adversity on a daily basis due to it. We are following our local protocols and we want to keep our kids healthy. Our hope is to have as good of a season as we can while dealing with a lot of things that are completely out of our control. We don’t make excuses at Trenton. We love our kids. We are going to treat them with respect and with the intent to compete for championships.
Q: Coach, this week you guys hit the road to matchup with the Dixie County Bears. In last season’s meeting, the Bears came away victorious. Talk a little bit about the challenges Dixie County presents and what you guys will have to do in order to come out with a victory?
A: Dixie County is what makes small school ball what it is. It is a big rivalry. It is a game the kids want to play in. It is a game that both communities look forward to and get excited about.
We need to play our very best. Dixie is loaded with a lot of retuning guys. We know they are very good. We need to prepare well and go play well. Coach Cravey does a great job. We are going into the game wanting to have a great week of practice and play our best on Friday night. It will be a challenge in every phase of the game. Playing and coaching in games like this is fun! We want to beat them and they want to beat us. We need to play a good clean game and stay healthy. The best way to win games is to not lose them. Secure the ball and don’t give up big plays. Block and tackle!
Written by: Nick Anschultz
