Coach Preston

In my opinion No they will not go scoreless. They have a good coach that knows what he is doing. I think they will score and maybe get a win or two. The wins will depend if the kids keep showing up and trying.

Will CH get their first points of the season is a reasonable question. I hope they do. Turn some first downs into ball movement and then into some points. I hate to see kids go through this. I've been there once or twice. It is a tough hole to dig out of. We had to do it at JH. The year that the Pittman kid was a freshman (2022) we had 51 players and 36 had never completed a high school football season. We started a ton of 9th and 10th graders. We eventually got it turned around. My first year at Franklin-Simpson we went 3-8. We played a bunch of young kids then as well. 4 seasons later we played for the state championship. Just got to believe and stay the course.

I think that is him.

I don't know if Fairdale returns their Defensive end from last year that was so good. Sorry I can't recall his name. He was a monster. An unbelievable motor. He was so aggressive we blocked him with the back side tackle or tight end even when we ran away from him so he would not run us down. We could see it on film as far as how good he was. But what impressed me the most was how hard he played. Seems like he told me after the game he had an offer from EKU. Even though we beat them it was tough to get anything running his way. Tremendous pass rusher and player in general. I wish I knew his name. I think he was a junior. Good luck Dawgs!!

Jeffersonville High School in Southern Indiana (6A School) is looking to hire a freshman coaching staff of 4. Anticipated 70 freshman football players are incoming. This is a very talented group of kids. Currently we are in the process of the final phases of work on a $55 million athletic facility that includes coaches offices, film room meeting rooms, trainers facilities, indoor Olympic size swimming pool and more as well as a state of the art ten thousand square foot weight room. There will be teaching positions available and para professionals are encouraged to apply as well. If interested Please contact me at [email protected] ; [email protected] or 502-321-8246.

So far I am learning that scheduling in Indiana does not seem to be nearly as controlled by the ruling body as in Kentucky. There are positives with that and negatives. No districts. Only conferences. Seems to lead to a very fluid format in who is playing who and for how many years etc. But keep in mind I have only been at Jeff for less than a month. So, I am learning as I go.

I am blessed to have this opportunity!

I am very happy for Jeremy. I remember watching him play in high school. He was special. I am even more happy that JH got a former player. He will have some good pieces returning and some fantastic coaches to work with. Go Dawgs!!

Congratulations!

It is already posted on the JCPS web page.

Sounds to me like some board members were pulling the super's strings which was likely a result of some behind the scenes agenda by some thinking Benton was not getting the job done for whatever reason. But you are right. Typical admin dumping the dirty work on someone else. SMH.

This makes no sense!

From one 'rolling stone' coach to another Good luck Coach Garry McPeek.

No Thanks.

Congratulations Dustin!!

One of the greatest stories I have been a part of. Absolutely gut busting funny!

Honestly I had informed JH admin over a year ago I would be finished Dec. 1 this year. Over that time period I have went back and forth in my mind on it but felt I needed to stick to the plan on the time frame. This fall has been much more difficult for me to motivate myself to go teach class each day than I ever expected. 31 years teaching is a long time. Also, (to me) the right thing to do for the school and kids was to allow them to have all the time they need to find a new HC. Mark Wells is the principal. He is going to do what is best for JH. That is a guarantee. He is easy to work with and a good person. If one our current guys is what is best for JH (and they would want the job) he would do it regardless of when the job opened imo. So in some respect I don't think I would be doing the right thing (I have a good relationship with Wells, school staff and football staff) by holding out so he would be forced into a spot where he did not have all options available. I don't know if that makes sense to anyone but me, but that is some of the why as to the when to retire. I still enjoy coaching and the kids. I really like the comradery the current staff had this season and will miss working with those guys. But, sometimes you know it's just time for a change. In this case - retirement for me.

Just some info for anyone interested: An awesome up and coming coach is Chris Evans here at JH. He is ready to call plays imo and has done a great job as our JV HC the last 3 seasons. I retired at such an odd time in order to give JH plenty of time to find the best HFC possible. Whoever that might be should work to keep Chris as well as the other guys on the staff. They did an exceptional job for us this season (we had injuries that were major all season from summer to finish). We did not have a single time in which we had the same staring O line for 11 straight weeks. That hurts. My point is that Chris, Aaron Evans, Derrick Hightower did an amazing job keeping us together with all those injuries and by the end of the season Chris was calling half the plays on Friday nights from the booth. Hightower is an exceptional person that kids naturally gravitate to and want to do well for him. That is a rare quality in my opinion. Malaki Nation and Kevin Hixenbaugh did an awesome job with the secondary (again injuries all season).

Never say never. ?

"Let the Bone Roll" as Marty Jaggers always said back in our days together. Great saying. I will add that JH has some good assistant coaches that would do a good job as the HC if they wanted to pursue that option.

All of them. My guys are Derrick Hightower, Chris Evans, Aaron Evans, Malaki Nation, Kevin Hixenbaugh and Jerry Perry in no certain order. Matt Marsh at Franklin Simpson does one hell of a job with their offense in my opinion.

As we head into the regular season opening game I want to introduce one final coach on staff. We are excited to officially welcome Coach Derrick Hightower as the newest Assistant Coach for John Hardin Football! ?? Coach Hightower brings with him over 30 years of football experience, from playing at the middle school level all the way to professional football—and now coaching. Originally from Arlington, Georgia, Coach Hightower, his wife Tina, and their two sons Derrick ‘DJ’ Hightower and Nehemiah Hightower now call Vine Grove, Kentucky home. A proud graduate of Randolph-Clay High School in Cuthbert, GA, he was a standout athlete in both football and basketball. His talents earned him multiple football scholarships, and he went on to play at The University of the Cumberlands (formerly Cumberland College), where he earned a degree in Exercise and Sports Science, with a minor in Public Health. During his college career, Coach Hightower racked up accolades including: ? 4-time MSC All-Conference selection (3x 1st Team, 1x Honorable Mention) ? Multiple-time MSC Defensive Player of the Week ? 2008 VSN All-Star Selection His playing career continued at the pro level, including stints with the Lexington Horsemen, Mahoning Valley Thunder, and even some time with the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2009 NFL season. After hanging up the cleats, Coach Hightower jumped right into developing the next generation of athletes. He began coaching in Ohio, including time at Lima Senior High School and Alabama Prep Sports Academy, where he helped 13 athletes earn college football scholarships. Since moving to Hardin County, KY, he has coached football, basketball, and baseball, most recently helping JTA’s football team go undefeated for two seasons, winning back-to-back championships while coaching the defensive line. Coach Hightower brings not only experience, but a passion for mentoring and motivating young men both on and off the field. We couldn’t be more excited to have him on board! I have been working the last three years to get him to join our staff. He is finally with us and it is paying big dividends. I am impressed with how Coach Hightower works so well with kids that are very young and inexperienced as well as the veterans in our program. This ability to get younger players to believe in themselves is something that is unique in my opinion. He has a sense of humor that I can relate to as well as a serious side to address and improve the players. He is a tremendous asset to our program already and is fast becoming a very valuable member of the coaching staff. Coach Hightower's son DJ is an outstanding football player that will begin his Junior season as a three year starter and one of the top players in his class for Kentucky. The pictures are of DJ (#20) as well as Coach Hightower as young player in his days at the University of the Cumberlands and his welcome photo for starting this school year. Please help us give Coach Hightower and his family a warm welcome in the comments below! ? #WelcomeCoachHightower #TeamNameFootball #OneTeamOneGoal #BuiltNotBought

? Meet Our New Assistant Football Coach: Malakai Nation! ? We’re excited to welcome back one of our own — Coach Malakai Nation — to the John Hardin Football family! Coach Nation is a proud John Hardin alum and former Bulldog standout in football, basketball, and track. After high school, he went on to play 4 years of college football at Hiram College in Ohio, where he earned All-Conference honors, played in 40 games, and made a name for himself as a tough, smart, and passionate player. Originally from San Diego, California, Coach Nation brings not just experience on the field, but also a love for teaching, mentoring, and helping young athletes grow — both as players and people. He’s also set to graduate this December with his degree! Coach Nation shared: “My goal is to teach and help better the development of the up-and-coming athletes. I see a lot of talent at John Hardin, and I give credit to Coach Preston and his staff for developing these guys into the stars they are.” My Thoughts: When I reached out to Coach Nation about coming home to help I already knew he would be a hit with the kids and coaching staff. In his short time back here at John Hardin working with our players it is very clear that Coach Nation is admired and respected. The players respond well to him and are very attentive when working with Coach Nation. I see a connection that is very promising for his career in education and coaching. I feel privileged and honored to have Malaki on our coaching staff and generally feel proud of our program when he is around. Some men just have that about them. He is one of those guys that have IT. Help us give a big Bulldog welcome to Coach Nation — we’re glad to have you back on the sidelines! ?? #BulldogPride #JohnHardinFootball #CoachNationReturns

This Friday night (6PM) JHHS hosts North Hardin, Daviess County and KCD in a round robin format. Next Friday night (7PM) we host Valley high school in a full game type scrimmage.

Get behind those big lineman and run down hill.