New era for Musselman in 2013

INWOOD, W.Va. — Taking over for a legendary high school coach is no easy task, but since being hired in January, first year head coach Brian Thomas has taken on that challenge at Musselman High School. As the fall approaches for the Applemen, Thomas will step in for the state’s all-time wins leader, Denny Price, who retired after the 2012 campaign.

“It’s been a roller coaster ride because you take over for Coach Denny Price, who was here for 40 years and was so successful,” said Thomas. “You also try to come in and put your own twist or own spin on things. The reception from everyone at our school, and especially our players, has been great.”

Thomas, an assistant for Price for the last six seasons, said the foundation of the program will still stay strong during his now head-coaching tenure.

“There’s a reason Coach Price is the all-time wins leader in the state of West Virginia. The way he approached his job, and the way he went about the things daily is what I’ve taken from him,” said Thomas.

With Thomas now at the helm, the Applemen will run a spread scheme and try to turn up the tempo, compared to years past.

“Our style of offense is going to be a lot different from what we’ve done the past couple of years, so we’ve stressed conditioning a lot. I’ve changed the program to where we’re worried about getting in better shape than we have in the past,” Thomas explained.

The offensive personnel running that offense starts with receiver, turned quarterback Trevon Wesco. Last season, Wesco shined at receiver, breaking a school record with over 900 receiving yards, averaging over 25 yards per catch. Wesco played quarterback during his youth days, prior to playing at Musselman. The reasoning behind the switch is simple, Thomas wants one his most talented guys to touch the football more.

“I’m a strong believer in that your quarterback needs to be one of your best playmakers,” said Thomas. “I want to get the ball in Trevon’s hands as much as I can. He’s going to be our main piece.”

Additionally, 5-foot-7 running back Danny Arndt returns in the backfield. He will be a third year starter come fall. Wesco will look to get Deonte Glover the ball as well. Glover will play both as a starting slot receiver and in the backfield for the Applemen.

Along the offensive line, Musselman tackles Frankie Dunlap and Scott Mock, as well as guard Ellard Burger. So, the experience is there upfront, as each of those linemen have helped guide the Applemen to the playoffs as starters in back-to-back seasons.

“Our line this year is our most experienced group coming back. We have some great guys in the trenches that I think are going to win the battle upfront,” said Thomas.

– Greg Madia