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After a strong run in the first four years under coach Mike Rogers, Warren Central took a step back in 2013. The Dragons limped out of the starting gate, losing their first three games for the first time since 1994. Ultimately the Dragons went 6-6 against a difficult schedule that included two state champions and a runner-up, failing to reach the region finals for the first time since 2009. What followed was an offseason that saw the departure of Mike Rogers to Paducah Tilghman – the third straight Central football coach to leave after exactly five seasons – as well as turnover of the entire staff of assistants. In April, Howard Feggins became the ninth head coach in Warren Central history. Coach Feggins comes to Warren Central having spent most of his coaching career in the college ranks, most recently as the offensive coordinator at Norfolk State for three seasons. His career also included stops at Wingate University, Miami of Ohio, Northwestern, Eastern Michigan, and South Carolina State, in addition to his playing career at North Carolina and appearances with the New England Patriots and New York Giants. It’s that experience at the next level that brings excitement to the program, helping to boost numbers on the roster. Coach Feggins has spread the word that he wants what is best for the players – to get them to that next level. But the turnover in coaching leaves us with a lot of uncertainty as to exactly what to expect in the upcoming season. Coach Feggins is installing an entirely new offensive scheme. Out is the Wing-T attack that is a hallmark of Mike Rogers, and in is the more and more popular spread offense. Coach Feggins expressed a desire to run a flavor of the offense in the vein of the Oregon Ducks, with focus on the no-huddle and up tempo to leverage the athleticism and speed that the Dragons typically possess. They’ll be running it without the services of three of their best offensive weapons from last year, the graduated QB Chris Porter-Bunton, RB Rondell Green, and TE Byron Carver. We may not know who will be the replacement at QB until the start of the season, with a battle of up to 4 players currently taking place for the position. Last year’s backup Chance Shanklin and newly eligible transfer Tristan Murray are considered the favorites for the position, with sophomores Chauncey Greer and Chance Hunt also seen taking reps at the spot. Aiding the development of whoever wins the job will be incoming transfer Jensen Feggins, the son of HC Howard Feggins. Last year at Highlands, Jensen amassed 51 receptions for 1,100 yards and 15 TDs in a state runner-up season. On the other side of the field will be Sr. Chris Amos, an athletic WR that unfortunately saw his season cut short last year with a broken ankle six games in. With the scheme changes it will be difficult to project other returning starters, but other expected skill position contributors on the offensive side will be track star Jr. Damani Walker, Jr. Malik Peele, and Sr. Colin Burnham. The Dragons will be aided in their efforts by several returning linemen that saw time last season. Defensively Warren Central will run a 3-4 scheme, and any discussion of the defense has to start with Sr. Emmitt Smith. Emmitt is the highest rated prospect to come through Central in quite some time, typically playing MLB. Several sets last season saw Emmitt put a hand on the ground as part of the DL, something he can comfortably do thanks to his 6’1”, 230 lbs frame. He’s expected to serve some time in each spot. The Dragons have a lot returning on the defensive side of the ball, losing only Rondell Green in the secondary from last season, a spot that will be filled by Jensen Feggins. That returning experience will be crucial as last season when they were a young, inexperienced unit, they allowed an average of 40 PPG in their losses, with none of those winning opponents scoring less than 26 in that game. The 2014 schedule is a virtual mirror of last season with the exception of their first two games. They’ll open the season in the Russell Rivals Bowl at Warren Central, hosting Hopkinsville, who the Dragons eliminated in the playoffs last year 48-10. After that they’ll face a tough pair of games back to back against Bourbon County (13-1 3A state semifinalists in 2013) in the Boyle County bowl game and at Louisville DeSales (14-1 2A state champions in 2013). Much like last year, we’ll know pretty quick what Warren Central is made of. Other highlights on the schedule are three big home games in October. They’ll host Owensboro (10-4 4A state semifinalists in 2013) in a rematch of a 28-7 Dragon win at Rash Stadium last season, easily the best win by the 2013 Dragons. Then comes the 1-2 punch of Bowling Green (15-0 5A state champions in 2013) and Highlands (13-2 4A state runners-up in 2013) in two of their last three games. This challenging schedule will likely lead to some losses and bumps and bruises, but will hopefully pay off in Central being battle tested. That’s as opposed to last year, where the bumps and bruises ended up taking their toll and the Dragons limped into the playoffs with a wide swath of injuries. The stated goal remains the same this year as it was in most years previously – Coach Feggins and the Dragons aim to win state. As with all the other years, they must first find their way past the goliath of 5A, their district mates and crosstown rivals Bowling Green. The Purples have won 44 games in a row and five of those wins came over Warren Central. Coach Feggins expressed that he believes they have to become a team that believes in each other as well as become disciplined and fundamentally sound to overtake Bowling Green. Do that, and anything is possible.