By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
This is looking like a season of transition for Western Alamance.
But the Warriors hope it will be trending in the right direction.
There’s going to be new elements associated with the team, but signs of a strong foundation could provide sought-after rewards.
“Attitudes are awesome,” coach Jeff Snuffer said.
Western has had back-to-back 6-5 seasons since 2021, when it turned in its only losing mark in more than two decades.
So winning trends have been associated with the Warriors. Snuffer is beginning his 33rd season at Western, where he started as an assistant coach under Hal Capps. He’s entering his 15th season as head coach, making him the longest active head coach in the county. No other Alamance County team has a head coach with more than four seasons completed at his school.
There are veteran elements on the Western roster as well.
Receiver James Newton is a game-changing player, while Keenan Charma is a fourth-year starter on the offensive line. Receiver/defensive back William Clinkscales is an established playmaker as well.
Yet there will be newcomers seeking to make impacts.
“We’ve just got to lead them in the right direction so we can win games,” Newton said.
Snuffer said members of a strong sophomore class will be looked to for key contributions. He said numerous players in the program were being groomed behind the veterans from the past couple of seasons.
There are plenty of replacements needed at Western, where the Warriors had 26 seniors a year ago. Some of those players were three-year starters.
At quarterback, replacing two-year starter Evan Kuehnel who graduated could be senior Hamilton Plunkett or sophomore Ethan Oakley, who was the junior varsity signal caller last year. Oakley is a younger brother of former Western stand-outs Bradyn Oakley and Zack Oakley.
Snuffer said the Warriors might be able to establish a more consistent rushing attack on offense. Much of that will depend on the further development of the offensive line, where there’s good size.
Last year, Western’s regular-season schedule rated as the toughest in the state for Class 3-A teams based on opponents’ winning percentage.
The Warriors gave Reidsville a scare last year, though personnel have changed on both teams. To end the regular season, Western was denied in a road upset bid at Central 3-A Conference champion Southern Alamance.
This season begins at home against reigning Class 2-A state champion Reidsville.
“Reidsville will expose us a little bit, but we’ll learn from it,” Snuffer said.
