Huguenot enters football playoffs undefeated as remarkable turnaround continues
It’s January, 2023. One of the newest arrivals at Huguenot High School is Charles Scott, their new head football coach.
As a new coach is prone to do, Scott scanned the hallways looking for talent. He knew it was there. It was a matter of convincing the Falcons community that the days of losing seasons and blowout losses were now behind them.
How did he know? It helps to have extensive knowledge of a sometimes forgotten community gem: youth football.
“I know that the city is definitely rich in talent, rich in athletic guys that wanted to be coached,” Scott explained during practice Wednesday. “I knew there would be talent here for years to come. They just needed the right situation, knowing someone loves and cares about them, off the field as well.”
Scott and his staff brought belief and confidence to that talent, and, unexpectedly, showed that caring during a critical time, as the Huguenot community dealt with the tragedy of the shooting outside their 2023 graduation at the Altria Theater, resulting in the deaths of Shawn Jackson, moments after he received his diploma, and his stepfather Lorenzo Smith.
The team, in turn, as the new school year began, placed their institution on their back, flying to a 4-0 start.
“I should have gone back and rearranged our goals,” Scott said of the winning streak. “We kind of bought into the hype, you know. We had early success, but we kind of got complacent.”
The Falcons ended their 2023 campaign at 8-3, narrowly falling in the Class 4, Region B semifinals. Fast forward to this year, and Huguenot finds themselves undefeated, 10-0, mythical Dominion District champions, but only the third seed in a bruising Region 4B that includes 2022 Class 4 state champion Dinwiddie, and perennial powers Varina and King George.
Scott said the 2024 Falcons have done a remarkable job at ignoring the hype, as well as focusing on the task at hand, day in and day out.
“The goal was to be undefeated. We wanted to be at home throughout the playoffs, but we don’t always control everything,” Scott noted, mindful of how the Virginia High School League’s point system works and how a 9-1 team (Dinwiddie) and an 8-1 team (Varina) finished ahead of the Falcons, in large part due to strength of schedule.
“That’s one of the things we helped them understand. We said, look, we did everything we were supposed to do. We did everything right,” Scott explained. “Sometimes, the chips don’t fall the way you want them to fall. But it’s how you respond.”
While stating that, Scott looked over the beautiful synthetic turf field, watching the team work on special teams drills. He sees how they have responded, and are ready to do the one thing that has eluded the Falcons’ program in its over 60-year history: win a state championship.
Step 1 is a rematch with their opening opponent, the Cyclones of Eastern View from Culpeper. There was some controversy after, briefly, their original game was canceled due to the Cyclones’ attempting to make good a Week One game that was weather-plagued. Within 24 hours, accommodations were made, and the game went on, a 53-13 Falcon win that put Region 4B on notice that Huguenot was for real.
The team isn’t overlooking the return of the Cyclones, carefully planning for a team looking to not only extend their season, but exact revenge. How does Scott keep his guys on an even keel? He has plenty of help within the ranks. When asked for an unsung hero for this year’s squad, he noted there were many, but did single out one whose profile is quite noticeable.
“I’ve got to go with Linwood Johnson, because he’s a great building guy, a great leader,” Scott opined. “He came in and has really helped our team grow, even helping our young quarterback grow, so we know our future is super bright. He’s a leader by example, and a vocal leader. He will be playing college football next year.”
The quarterback, who played at Varina in 2023, the team that eliminated Huguenot from the postseason, backs up his leadership skill with signal-calling precision. Two weeks ago in a key victory over Midlothian, he threw for 310 yards and three touchdowns with only two incompletions, and rushed for 75 yards and two more scores.
Johnson may end up facing his former team, but first is Friday's 7 p.m. home playoff game.
The Falcons are one of four Richmond Public Schools entries into this year’s playoffs.
Thomas Jefferson completed an undefeated season as well, and hosts Culpeper County in a Class 3, Region B quarterfinal Friday, also at 7, at Hovey Field on the Virginia Union campus.
Armstrong, whose only loss was to Thomas Jefferson, hosts James Monroe at 7:30 at Virginia State University, and John Marshall will hit the road for a Class 2, Region A quarterfinal at top seed Poquoson on Friday at Poquoson Middle School at 7 p.m.
