By Bill Mitchell,

Special Writer

Columbia –  Heathwood Hall will look back on the 2009-2010 athletic year with a great deal of satisfaction, but it shouldn’t look back long because the new athletic year is about to start and the score is no wins, no losses.  Starting over.

That certainly goes for head football coach Rip Blackstone who led the Highlanders to  the state finals and handed champion Hammond its only loss of last year.

It will be ATW (After The Whalens) and a new look from his coaching staff down to the players.

The Whalens, Mac and Morgan were big keys to last year’s success. All of their talents and all their experience is now in the hands of others.

Blackstone is breaking in three new assistants. High on the list of losses is defensive coordinator Brad Coleman who has left coaching to be an assistant principal

“Losintg Brad was a big loss,” Blackstone said. “We have added Scott Parsons, who is teaching at White Knoll  and he will just be coaching football at Heathwood.”

Also gone from the staff of a year ago are Charles Douglas and Brian Hucks. Ashley Farr, the Highlanders’ head baseball coach, has taken up football duty with receivers. and Tony Cixler moves in to handle the secondary.

“I feel good about our staff at this point,” Blackstone said. “I think the transition will be a smooth one. I know we can expect some bumpy spots, but I think they will do a good job.

“All of them have taken the initiative with our players this summer and have been working with them,”  he said. “ I know that it will be different.”

Returning to the football coaching staff is Jason Brunson who has been on the staff for six years and will work with offensive backs and Brandon Hoynes who oversees the offensive line.

Mac Whalen was perhaps independent football’s best quarterback a year. He came into the season with lots of experience, confidence and ability. Among the things that will be difficult will be replacing him.

“The biggest change is going from a highly talent senior with a lot of experience to a ninth grader who has not taken a varsity snap,” Blackstone said. “We’ll have to depend on our running game more than our passing game this year and our offense will have to be less sophisticated.”

Few changes dot the roster of head coaching assignments throughout the program.

Other fall porgrams have Heather Brown directing the cheerleading  Willis Ware oversees cross country, Lynn Humphrey coaches girls and boys golf and Dick Anderson is back with girls tennis. BZ Geise is the swimming coach.

Jeff Whalen, the Highlanders’ athletic director, is back to handle boys basketball.  and John O’Cain  coaches the girls team. Hank Wall is the wrestling coach. Jim Robinson oversees bowling.

During the spring, Assistant athletic director Curtis Player is back with the girls soccer team.Kevin Graves returns to the boys program. Marty Ward coaches the  lacrosse team, O’Cain directs the boys trck team and Ware coaches the girls. Domino Boulware handles boys tennis and Peyton Sasnett coaches softball.