- Details
- Category: Current Issue
Academy
names new
coach for
football
By Ron P. Coderre
Woodstock Academy football for the third time in four years and the fourth time in its brief eight year gridiron history has named a new person to head the fortunes of the Centaurs. Clay Killingsworth, who on the reincarnation of the program, served as a Centaur assistant under Jemal Davis, was the school’s latest choice.
Killingsworth, who assumes his first head coaching position, comes in with enthusiasm garnered in his eight years as an assistant and a desire to have his own program. The Alabama native who was an All-State player in high school, most recently worked as an assistant at Norwich Free Academy for his old friend Davis. Last year Killingsworth was a candidate for the Woodstock job, which went to Jesse Pimental who later resigned after one season in January.
In his new position, Killingsworth inherits a program that went 0-10 last year and is 6-34 in the last four seasons. In addition to getting the players in the weight room, Killingsworth plans on implementing other team building activities to invigorate the football spirit of the Centaurs. The Air Force veteran, who attended Troy State in Alabama, will have an opportunity to make Woodstock competitive, as they’ve been granted a reprieve and will play in the Eastern Connecticut Conference Small Division for at least the next two seasons. Previously the team had played in the Large Division, which proved to be a situation where the young program wasn’t competitive.
Prior to Pimental’s brief reign as head coach, Gary Brine was the varsity mentor for four seasons. Davis held the position for the first two seasons. According to the cliché, “What goes around comes around.” The Woodstock coaching merry-go-round now has a new man attempting to grab the brass ring. He’s someone who’s been involved with the team initially and was a candidate as the head coach once.
Killingsworth who is married with two children and lives in Canterbury appears to be the right man for the job. He’s been given the support of the athletic administration. It’s up to him to prove that he’s capable of turning a losing program into a winner.