Preston aiming for stability

KINGWOOD, W.Va. – Since making the playoffs in 2008, the Preston Knights have racked up a combined total of four wins.

The lack of wins, however, hasn’t changed the attitude among the coaching staff and players heading into this season.

John Tennant enters his second season with Preston — a program that had a different head coach in the three seasons prior his arrival. After going winless in 2009 and 2010, the Knights defeated Hampshire on opening night of 2011, under former head coach Glen McNew, then proceeded to lose the remaining nine games.

In Tennant’s first year, Preston tallied three wins and showed signs of improvement.

“We have high expectations,” Tennant said. “We ended last year winning three out of our last five games. We had our last game cancelled because of the superstorm. Winning three games was really a momentum builder for us. We’re really excited for (this) year.”

During the Knights playoff season of 2008, Tennant was an assistant on Ralph Wilson’s staff, so he knows what it takes to build a winner at Preston.

And Tennant’s presence has rubbed off onto his players.

“Coach is definitely putting confidence into us because he has more faith in us than anybody has ever had,” senior receiver Shane Parks said. “We have to stick to the program and how it is working. If we just believe in how the system is going to work, I think it will work. This is only (Coach Tennant’s) second year and I think we’re on a good track.”

A glaring hole in the Knights’ lineup will be the loss of senior running back Cory Goldstrom, who was a two-time all-state special mention and rushed for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons.

While there’s no player with the experience that Goldstrom had waiting in the wings, the Knights will look to a group of backs in 2013.

“We got a couple of younger kids, a couple of juniors and one senior returning,” Tennant said. “It’s going to be by committee. No one is standing out, but we can’t tell right now until August. We’re real excited about the kids that are coming up.”

One of the players looking to get some carries this season will be senior Jonathan McCabe, who expects the Knights to take the next step in their rebuilding process.

“We only won three games last year, but (this) year we think we can double it,” he said. “We have a few games we know that we can win, but we can’t be too cocky.”

Preston returns eight starters on defense — something that could prove beneficial when the season rolls around.

“I know Lewis County lost a lot,” Parks said. “We have a shot at coming back and beating them. Last year, we could have beat Fairmont Senior, and it didn’t happen.”

Those three wins a season ago for the Knights came over North Marion, East Fairmont and Buckhannon-Upshur. Preston will open its season against at Hampshire on August 30.

– Wes McKinney