ALL-AREA FOOTBALL: Eagles' Britt named coach of the year

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on December 19, 2015 11:11 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

The biggest challenge facing Rosewood coach Robert Britt this season was defense.

Nine starters graduated.

The only experienced lineman back was Kaleb Taylor, who played in the shadow of Tyree Chavious, who signed with James Madison University.

Who would step into key defensive roles? Britt and his staff knew the offense would have to "disguise" the defense until a consistent unit had been put in place.

The Eagles 'D' began to click the Lejeune game. It improved and gained confidence each week, especially after a monumental upset of then-No. 1-ranked James Kenan.

"They knew if we do what we were taught technique-wise on defense, we could be pretty good."

The seniors grew into their leadership roles and helped mold a young group of players into a consistent-playing team that pleased by the coaching staff by season's end.

Rosewood eventually logged a 7-5 worksheet -- the best in Britt's nine-year tenure -- and came within one point of earning the program's first Carolina 1-A Conference crown since 1999.

The Eagles have eight overall in program history.

"It was a good year," Britt said. "Seeing the kids buy into what we had to had to do offensively, what we had to defensively technique-wise and showing that if you do that (in games), it works.

"The season didn't end the way the kids wanted it to. It didn't end the way the coaching staff wanted it to. I think having some time away from it now and looking back, especially with that win against James Kenan, it was a very good season."