New Football Coach at John Battle

If I'm not mistaken, the new football coach at Battle is a member of our forum.....CoachFtbl.

Congratulations to making it back to Southwest Virginia and good luck at Battle.


The position of head football coach at John Battle High School has historically been one of the toughest in Southwest Virginia.

Chris Brookshire knows the story, and he embraces the challenge.

The 37-year-old Asheville, N.C. resident was tabbed as the new boss of the Trojans during a meeting of the Washington County School Board Monday night.

"I'm aware of the situation at Battle, and I realize people look at this as a tough job," said Brookshire, who replaces Dan Strong at Battle. "That excites me. I can't wait to get started."

Brookshire recently resigned as the head coach of Erwin High School in Asheville. He compiled a record of 17-38 the past five seasons at the 1,300-student school.

Moments after completing an over nine-hour drive Wednesday evening from a family trip to Disney World in Orlando, Fla., Brookshire discussed his appreciation for Southwest Virginia football..a chance to move to Southwest Virginia two or three times," said Brookshire, whose son is a rising ninth grader and football player. "It looks like a great place to raise a family and be a coach."

"I think the Battle principal [Jeff Hawkins] was pretty amazed that I knew so much about his school," Brookshire said. "I know that Battle hasn't had a winning season in football since 1998, but I want to get the kids excited about the game and then watch that excitement level take off."

Brookshire plans to meet with the current coaches at John Battle Friday, and possibly meet with the players Tuesday.

As for the power structure among Southwest Virginia teams, Brookshire will need no primer. He lived in Wise County until age 10, and both of his brothers were athletes at J.I. Burton High School.

"The level of play in [Southwest Virginia] is high. Just look at the number of National Football League players from that area," Brookshire said. "I've met coaches like John Adams (Lebanon), Phil Robbins (Powell Valley) and Nick Colobro (Gate City) at clinics. Now, I will have the opportunity to play against them. It's a huge deal."

Brookshire starred as a receiver and defensive back at Tuscola High School in Waynesville, N.C., then earned a football scholarship to Wingate. After injuring his knee, Brookshire transferred to Western Carolina University where earned All-Southern Conference honors in track and field as a sprinter.

In addition to the passion for football, Brookshire said he was attracted to the slower pace in the Mountain Empire.

"I've had

In 2006, Brookshire led Erwin to its first playoff appearance in four years. He worked at the school for a total for 11 seasons, counting his time as an assistant.

Brookshire tutored several college players at Erwin, including Appalachian State University All-American offensive lineman John Holt and his brother Sherman.

"We ran the I offense when we had the Holt brothers. Last year we had a 6-foot-5, 215-pound quarterback who is on everybody's radar, so we went to a little more spread offense," Brookshire said.

"I know Battle is graduating is a very good quarterback (Cody Calloway along with a couple outstanding receivers. I like the spread, ball-control approach on offense, though.''

While Brookshire said his friends and co-workers tried to persuade him to remain at Erwin, he is counting down the days until he becomes a Trojan.

"I've heard that the players at Battle have already been lifting weights, and that says a lot about those kids," Brookshire said. "You can't replace hard work and dedication.

"We want to start all players and parents on the same page, and just get folks about excited about the game. I'm leaving a great situation, but I think [Battle] is a good situation as well."

Coachs do not seem to last long at Battle I wish him luck.

Didn't this guy take the Lee job a few years ago, then back out?

good luck with JSB......he'll need it and then some

Bob i think you are right and then they gave it to Hagerman.

Backed out on Lee but accepted JSB. That doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

Ervinton has facilities as good or better than JSB....that place is depressing. They do have athletes tho...just not many "football players"...if ya know what I mean.

Sometimes it seems the football players go to Va High. Baseball players stay at Battle if they've been going there. Also know that Battle does some fall baseball, that has to hurt.

Must not be too many then, if they go to VA High, and there no good either

A Thomas Walker fan has no reason to badmouth, look in the mirror.

Yes, well we're not on of the larger schools in the region and continually lose to average D1 teams either.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sat_morning_QB</div><div class="ubbcode-body">A Thomas Walker fan has no reason to badmouth, look in the mirror. </div></div>

What, so no one can say anything on here unless our team is "great" now? Guess that means most will have to remain silent, lol. What happened to being able to just discussing topics regardless of the school or team we're associated with?

My problem with Pioneer Blue is how he seems to constantly attack other programs as if Thomas Walker was the benchmark for high school athletics in the area.

For this reason, I'd have to side with Sat_morning_QB on this one.

I don't constantly attack anyone. I state my opinions, and it doesn't matter what school I'm from the truth is the truth. JSB is weak in football, and it doesn't matter if I'm from PV, GC, or Thomas Walker, facts are facts. Besides, we have under 300 students, and they have over 500, and were AT LEAST as good as they are, if not better, on a yearly basis. Some people on here can't handle the truth.

I'm a JIB alumni and former player from there, no way affiliated with Battle. Football isn't their sport, but your knocking them and Va High like there were no better than Hurley, which I recall Hurley made the playoffs in the last 4 years and Thomas Walker hasn't. That means Thomas Walker and Battle are mirror images of each other.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: PioneerBlue</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I don't constantly attack anyone. I state my opinions, and it doesn't matter what school I'm from the truth is the truth. JSB is weak in football, and it doesn't matter if I'm from PV, GC, or Thomas Walker, facts are facts. Besides, we have under 300 students, and they have over 500, and were AT LEAST as good as they are, if not better, on a yearly basis. Some people on here can't handle the truth. </div></div>


and JIB has under three hundred students and look what we do, thats not a very good excuse

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sat_morning_QB</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'm a JIB alumni and former player from there, no way affiliated with Battle. Football isn't their sport, but your knocking them and Va High like there were no better than Hurley, which I recall Hurley made the playoffs in the last 4 years and Thomas Walker hasn't. That means Thomas Walker and Battle are mirror images of each other. </div></div>

Yeah, and we played a home and home with Hurley and beat them both times so yeah that's a great point there man. What happened to VA High winning the CMD this year?? Oh yeah, they didn't. They didn't finish 2nd either. My point was simply, a kid leaving Battle to go to Va High isn't quite the same as a kid leaving Pound for Powell Valley, or Ervinton for Clintwood or Haysi but I guess you'd rather attack someone than actually take the time to think about what you just read.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: raider13</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: PioneerBlue</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I don't constantly attack anyone. I state my opinions, and it doesn't matter what school I'm from the truth is the truth. JSB is weak in football, and it doesn't matter if I'm from PV, GC, or Thomas Walker, facts are facts. Besides, we have under 300 students, and they have over 500, and were AT LEAST as good as they are, if not better, on a yearly basis. Some people on here can't handle the truth. </div></div>


and JIB has under three hundred students and look what we do, thats not a very good excuse </div></div>

and JIB is the exception, not the rule

What exactly has JIB done?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sup-rbeast</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What exactly has JIB done? </div></div>

I don't know, I was just replying to what raider13 said.

If we are comparing Thomas Walker to JIB (which I think it what this has turned into) between PioneerBlue, SatMornQB, and Raider13 then I think everybody might know the answer to that one, there isn't a comparison.

How has it turned into that?? I think you misread, because I was talking about jSb not jIb. If you want to get into that though, yeah there isn't a comparison because JIB has one of the best coaches in this area, and we have one that was basically fired from Lee High because he couldn't win more than 2 games with loaded teams.

I may have just misread it then, that is what I thought was happening. My bad