Trinity Christian School

From 7-11-14

Most of my coaching career was in the Covington, Monroe, & Loganville area, but one of my All-State players had a teammate in college that influenced my opportunity to teach/coach in the Dublin, Ga., area. I had been retired two years (for the 2nd time) and we were traveling with "wings", provided by our daughter, Brenda, who was a Delta flight attendant. Former star player, Wayne Hall's, roommate in college, Ron Riley, had heard all the great stories about Newton County's tradition, and claims that he was amazed when he saw his first Newton County game. Riley, who attended the same church as Dr. J.Y. Jones, convinced him that I was the coach, along with the new headmaster, Ron Kea, to

"Make something out of the school, or close the doors!" Jan & I visited the little school and as old as I was (nearing my 60s) I really wasn't sure I had the energy to "do it all" again. So, we headed out to the west coast for 10 days of more fun. When we returned late one night, the phone was ringing, and a voice said, "We have prayed about it, & The Lord wants you to come to Dublin, Ga., to teach & coach @ Trinity School. Jan said, "We can't refuse The Lord", & we headed out to Dublin the next day & agreed to a 5-yr. commitment. After seeing the facilities, I had 2nd thoughts, as they were in disrepair, & we had no place to live. Dr. Jones, a very strong Christian man said, "If you'll honor your commitment, we'll do a complete renovation of the facilities." The football stadium had been cared for by the local farmers, but the large gym & its facilities were completely redone. The office was very nicely done & furnished with all new furniture. With no place to live, Jan & I decided to sleep in the office for a "few" nights (3 months). Jan would sleep on the sofa, & I would sleep on a cot with my feet against the door. You have never experienced sounds like we heard each night in the big, dark gym. We never did know what some of those weird sounds were, but you can be assured that we didn't leave our little office to find out! Each evening the gates to the large campus were locked, with Jan & me inside, (& I often wondered if they did that to keep Jan & me from heading back north!). Once again I found out how special Jan was to support my career & she never let me be late for school--& it was easy to get in bed after a home game! Each evening Jan & I would hold hands (I sure didn't want her to leave me!), & roam the large wooded acreage where we would see deer, fox families, & turkeys. When I told our daughter that I had to run the turkeys off the football field, she said that I shouldn't talk about my players that way! Five years passed quickly & with Dr. JY Jones, Mr. Ron Kea, & an outstanding Booster Club president, Dianne Wages, & through their efforts the school had grown to around 400 students & is still very successful today touching the lives of young people! In our last year there, our football program had improved so much that we went 11-2 & won the region title! Our boys' basketball team had a 25-4 record, and also lost in the state playoffs. We had some outstanding athletes, such as Chad Lewis, Charles Coleman, Allen Manning, Stacy Nobles, & Chuck Price & others. The girls program had some very dedicated young ladies who loved the game of basketball. The had a 5-year record of 114-24, with 3 Region titles. Lee Haskins, Kim Ellington, Mary Holder, Emily Wages, Laurie Haskins & others, were all instrumental in helping Coach Bradley to record his 1,000th basketball victory which was the occasion for a huge celebration & brought together many who had made these victories possible. Then Loganville's Dan Digby & Coy Baker came calling, and after 5 great years @ TCS, it was an opportunity to head back north to "home"!