Coach Bryon Marshall is the Next Man Up to Coach Blake's JV Football Team

JV football head coach, Bryon Marshall, directing JV

quarterback, Isaiah Smith. Photo Courtesy of Bryon Marshall)

Blake's junior varsity (JV) football team is off to an impressive start under the direction of new head coach, Bryon Marshall. Marshall was promoted to JV head coach after one year as wide receivers coach for the varsity team.

Previous to coming to Blake, Marshall was the offensive coordinator at Northwood High School for six years,and was the JV coach there for a year. Then, he went to coach at Einstein High School for a year. Finally, Marshall arrived at Blake, where he got hired as the wide receivers coach under Head Coach Deshawn Anderson.

Marshall has some key traits that are very important for coaching. “He loves kids. He is really knowledgeable about football. He knows a lot about the game and studies the game a lot. He is a great teacher of the game. Most importantly, he has great relationships with a lot of the players and a lot of the kids respect him. Even when he can get down on them, he has a big heart and looks out for a lot of the kids,” Anderson said when describing Marshall’s traits.

Not only does Coach Anderson think that Marshall was the right candidate to be the new JV coach, the players agreed as well. The players and Marshall have built strong relationships. “It’s fun because we are close already so it makes a better bond because he is my coach now,” says sophomore runningback and linebacker Sabionn Adams.

One other special thing about Marshall coaching JV is that he gets to coach his little brother; Isaiah Smith. Marshall and Smith were already really close before football. Marshall finds it “special” that he gets to coach his little brother. “It feels like he helps me do better,” Smith says, about being coached by Marshall.

The team's record to start off the season is 4-0. In their game against Poolesville, Sophomore quarterback Isaiah Smith threw for 181 yards, and had three touchdowns, including an 85 yard completion. On the defensive side, linebacker Adams led the team with five tackles. “We have a very talented group of young men, so I think the best thing right now is that we are just focused,” Marshall said about the team's early success.

Marshall really enjoys coaching and being a part of the Blake football family. He also teaches the players how to be better young men on and off the field. When asked about what his favorite part about coaching was, Marshall said, “The best part is watching the kid come in 9th grade year and in four years they graduate. I get to see the growth of a person not only a football player, but a person. When that happens you feel that you have a positive impact in that kid's life. So it’s not about the wins and losses. It is about the kids growth itself after they go through our program."

Overall, everyone can agree with no doubt that promoting Marshall was the right move. Everyone has such high praise for Marshall and believes that he is a key asset for the Blake football program. Coach Anderson says “He is definitely pushing our program forward and making it better because he is here.”

JV’s next home game is Saturday October 7, at 10 AM against Northwood, which is also their homecoming game. Come out and support the team and as they try to continue their strong success this season.

Coach Marshall wearing WR Leo Yela's jersey on Staff

Appreciation Day (L) and hanging out a practice (R) (Photo Courtesy of Bryon Marshall)