New/old coach will bank on stalwart defense early

TRINITY — When is a new high school football coach not exactly a new high school football coach? When he’s had previous experience with that same school he’s joining.

Jacob Sheffield, who started his coaching career at WHS in 2009, has returned to coach the Warriors for the upcoming football season. The 2005 Trinity High School graduate, who spent last season as the associate head coach at THS after a three-year stint as head coach at High Point Central, said he’s excited for the challenge ahead.

“I’ve never backed down from a challenge, I’ve always accepted them,” said Sheffield, who also spent time as a football and wrestling coach at Greensboro Page. “It’s like I tell my players, life is full of unfair and unequal opportunities and it’s what you make of them. You take on projects where the one goal is to make it better and the kids have responded to that.”

While a student at Appalachian State, Sheffield would spend the weekends as an assistant football coach first at Archdale-Trinity Middle School and then at WHS. Upon graduation from ASU, he was an assistant football coach, assistant wrestling coach and head track coach through the 2012 season at WHS.

Now he returns to lead a football program that has not won more than four games in any one season since 2018. The Warriors were 2-8 last year, including an 0-5 record in the Piedmont Athletic Conference. The Warriors were outscored 138-31 in PAC games and 276-139 overall. 

Being so familiar with the area should be a benefit.

“The advantages are more so from a community standpoint in that they are getting someone who knows the league and who carries a good name who is going to treat their kids fairly,” Sheffield said. “It’s great to be here. It’s like home number two for me.”

There is plenty of work to do, but Sheffield insists there are players on this roster who can help begin an upward trend. Numbers, of course, are a problem, but that can be remedied with wins on Friday night.

“We knew numbers and trying to get kids out is something we are going to have to build,” Sheffield said. “We have a really good talented group of freshmen and a really good group of sophomores and seniors. The junior class isn’t that big, but we have some really good players there. Getting some wins on Friday nights will go a long way in bringing back kids. They are all working really hard to learn my system and the way I am doing things.”

While the Warriors used more of a passing offense in recent years, Sheffield said the run is going to be emphasized, meaning his offensive line will have to be strong.  

Josh Lowe, Ashtin Bennett, Julian Mashburn, Xavier Fuentes and Scottie Shuemate will be asked to produce holes for running backs Jonathan Kelly, who rushed for more than 800 yards last year, and Danny Craig. Another player who will see action everywhere on the field is Dom Hittepole. Hittepole will carry the ball, be a receiver and be a key part of the defense and special teams.

“When you have a guy who has wrestled for a state championship and he can play linebacker, tight end, fullback, tailback and he says he’ll play whatever you need, he’s like a Swiss army knife,” Sheffield said. “And we’ll have two more years with him.”

At quarterback, the Warriors are hoping sophomore Connor Benton will produce. 

“He’s one of the hardest working quarterbacks I have ever dealt with to this point,” Sheffield said. “He wants to strive for greatness. I told him I don’t expect him to be a hero, but I expect him to be the general.”

Defensively, Sheffield said he likes where his team is at.

“Looking at all the Xs and Os, our defense was pretty solid,” Sheffield said. “We’re slightly ahead on defense right now. We don’t want to change the defense.”

Bennett, Lowe and Brandon Santibnez are among those who will be up front and Hittepole, Ayden Routh, Kelly, Craig and Noah Browning will head the linebacking core. 

The secondary is very athletic with Jace Penny, Kase Wilson and Elijah Hicks.