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Falcons hope to be ‘primetime’ players

Fred Jeter | 10/5/2023, 6 p.m.
Charles Scott is becoming the Deion Sanders of the East. In a blink, Coach Sanders, aka “Coach Prime,” turned a ...
Huguenot Falcons running back Michael Dabney Jr., No. 1, takes the ball down the field. Photos by James Haskins/Richmond Free Press

Charles Scott is becoming the Deion Sanders of the East.

In a blink, Coach Sanders, aka “Coach Prime,” turned a ragamuffin University of Colorado program into a national talking point with a 3-0 start.

Meanwhile, on the high school level, Scott has awakened the long-slumbering Huguenot High Falcons.

After going 2-16 the previous two seasons and 24-109 since 2009, the Falcons have bolted to a take-notice 4-0 start under Coach Scott.

“We feel great. This is a testament to the kids’ hard work since January,” said Coach Scott, who became the team’s coach last winter.

The takeoff victories (over Clover Hill, Richmond City, Powhatan and James River) were by a combined score of 167-34.

But now the path gets rockier.

Huguenot meets Manchester, ranked No. 2 in the 804, on Friday, Oct. 6. After that comes former three-time state champ L.C. Bird.

To make the task more challenging, it will be homecoming at Manchester.

“We’re into the meat of the schedule,” Coach Scott said.

If Coach Scott, whose most recent coaching assignment was Life Christian Academy (LCA), is overwhelmed by his practically overnight success, it doesn’t show.

“I won’t lie. The plan was to go into the Manchester game undefeated,” he said.

A pass to Dabney is broken up by James River’s Henry Brown, No. 2.

A pass to Dabney is broken up by James River’s Henry Brown, No. 2.

As Coach Sanders did at Colorado (1-11 a year ago), Coach Scott has benefitted from some gifted transfers, starting with quarterback Jason Wright who came to Forest Hill Avenue as a junior from, of all schools, Manchester.

In Wright’s first game against Clover Hill, he passed for a school and possibly area record seven touchdowns and ran for two more.

There’s plenty of firepower in the Huguenot offense.

In the tense win over Powhatan, Michael Dabney rushed for 241 yards on 24 carries and John Washington added 101 yards on six totes.

Dabney, who played under Coach Scott at LCA, added 257 rushing yards in the 26-0 win over James River.

Coach Scott estimates he has “about five transfers,” many of whom are underclassmen.

Also, Coach Scott notes that he has at least three freshmen on his combined starting offensive and defensive units.

“We’re a young team. The future is bright,” he said.

Trying to regain lost glory from the Richard McFee coaching seasons in the 1980s and 1990s, the team has gone back to its original uniform colors – Kelly green and Vegas gold.

The makeover is all a part of the Falcons return as a “Prime Time” program.