Newton set for new year at Woodland High School
By David Shelton
Staff Writer
St. George – Since the day the doors of Woodland High opened, one man has been serving as the school’s athletic director. Jake Newton is set to begin his 10th year as the athletic director at the school and looks forward to continuing the growth of the program.
Woodland is coming off one of their more successful years in athletics, according to Newton. Most of the school’s teams were involved in state playoff action and the school continues to produce a high caliber of athletes.
“We had a good year but we always want more, we always want to do better,” said Newton earlier this summer. “We can’t ever be satisfied and our coaches are always working hard to do better.”
Newton says a key factor lately to the school’s success in athletics has been stability within the coaching ranks. There have been very few coaching changes in recent years and this year will be more of the same.
Newton reported that track coach Jackie Ryant has vacated his coaching position and the new coach will be named sometime during the school year.
“We won’t replace anyone with new hires so the track coach will probably come from within,” said Newton. “Hiring new coaches just isn’t happening right now anywhere. We have to find someone that’s already here that can take on the position.”
The rest of the varsity coaching staff will return for the coming school year. Starting in the fall, Reed Charpia will return as the head football coach. Charpia has established the Wolverines as a perennial playoff participant and with all-state quarterback Robert Smith returning this season, Woodland could make a run at a region championship.
Returning to coach the girl’s volleyball team this fall is Tracy DeLee, while Joseph Mackey is slated to return as the boy’s and girl’s cross country coach. The girl’s tennis coach this fall is Gladys Summers.
The winter sports lineup consists only of basketball as the school does not field a wrestling team. Returning as the head boy’s coach is Ken Green while Ruth Mims is the head coach of the girl’s team.
In the spring, Rusty Charpia will return for his second season as the baseball coach. Woodland challenged for a time for the region 6-AA title but slipped to fourth-place. However, the Wolverines made some noise in the playoffs with a first-round upset of number one seeded Wade Hampton. The baseball team loses some key personnel but has several starters returning next spring.
Summers coaches the girl’s softball team in the spring. Cameron Tanner will return as the boy’s soccer coach while Ray Hawkins will be back as the girl’s soccer coach next spring.
