Published: 12:56 AM, Sat Sep 08, 2012
Strelow: Past meets present for Scotland coach Richard Bailey
The congratulatory hugs and handshakes were winding down when Scotland coach Richard Bailey turned to his right and joined three former Jack Britt players for a group embrace.
"Give me love, boys," Bailey said to Wesley Flagg, Alex Butler and Stephen Jones, who were members of the school's state runner-up team in 2004.
Outside that impromptu huddle stood Chris Starling, the quarterback on Jack Britt's first varsity team a dozen years ago. Bailey was the coach then and remained with the Buccaneers until May, when he took over Scotland's state championship program. Past met present at the Boneyard on Friday night, and Bailey's current squad rolled to a 32-6 victory.
It was an emotional evening for Bailey, who went 119-44 with three championship game appearances during his time in Fayetteville, and for many of his former players, both the graduates as well as the returners from a 4-AA state semifinalist. The Bucs, ranked fourth in 4-A thanks to a 3-0 start, entered as the perceived favorite, but Scotland controlled the game from the outset, scoring on its first possession and taking advantage of a shaky Jack Britt offense.
The Bucs barely avoided a safety when they fumbled a shotgun snap on their first offensive play, and another fumbled snap on second down cost them two points.
"There were too many mistakes," first-year Jack Britt coach Brian Rimpf said. "We may have been too anxious to play."
Scotland started warming up shortly after 6 p.m., and Bailey said it felt strange walking toward the far end of the field. One of his assistants asked if he could move a bench on the visiting sideline, and Bailey joked, "They're not my benches anymore; you can do whatever you want with them." Thirty minutes later Bailey and his team were introduced over the stadium speakers to applause from both sides, and the subsequent playing of Hank Williams' "Your Cheatin' Heart" drew laughter from several Scotland coaches.
Only 2 starters return
As Bailey stood on the field before the game and talked about his team, which returned only two starters from the title run, he immediately mentioned the promise of his unproven receivers.
Not surprisingly, 6-foot-3 senior TraShawn Gregory hauled in a 28-yard pass for Scotland's first touchdown. Later in the half, he scored on a 24-yard fade. After a long reception that flipped the field, Bailey led his fellow coaches on a sprint down the sideline.
Rimpf made a point of keeping things mostly the same when he replaced Bailey, and the Bucs still had hope for a comeback after their spread offense scored a touchdown early in the third quarter. They threatened again, but a fourth-down fade to Edmund Grant, who wears No. 8, fell incomplete. Fittingly, the Fighting Scots capped the scoring in the same end zone with another fade to their No. 8. Gregory had a seven-inch height advantage over Britt's speedy cornerback, a difference Bailey was well aware of heading into the game.
Doused with an overturned cooler in the final minute, Bailey shook hands with Rimpf at midfield. Scotland's coach continued down the handshake line and spoke to Grant and quarterback Mark McRae.
Bailey said the most touching part about the week were the text messages he received from several Jack Britt players. They wished him good luck and expressed love for him while also making their intentions clear.
"Those kids wanted to beat the crap out of me," Bailey said, "but going back to relationships and appreciation, I hope that's what we did while I was here. They know I still care about them. I hope they win every game after this."
As Bailey walked across the field to address his team after the win, he greeted his wife, Laura, and kissed his 3-year-old son, Carson, whose middle name is Britt.
North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams, who left Kansas for his alma mater, has repeatedly said there's nothing wrong with loving two schools. Bailey was the embodiment of that Friday night.
Staff writer Bret Strelow can be reached at strelowb@fayobserver.com or 486-3513.