Over the last five seasons, Mount View has made the playoffs one time. The other four years the Golden Knights have finished under .500.
Last year was rocky in Welch as the team finished 1-8, needing multiple head coaches just to complete the season.
The 2024 campaign however, brings a new hope to Vic Nystrom Stadium with first-year head coach Will King now the full-time leader of the Golden Knights.
King is committed to rebuilding the program and believes that all starts with him and his staff.
“Consistency and continuity among the staff is a big thing. We don’t want to have that revolving door,” King said. “We want to eliminate that among the players too. Guys would quit, then come back. We are trying to teach young men. You just can’t quit on the relationship because it is hard.”
King brings an impressive resume to Welch having quarterbacked Charleston High School and then Capital High School to back-to-back Class AAA state championship titles as a player. He is also a member of the Marshall Athletics Hall of Fame and was a key player on the 1992 Marshall Division I-AA national championship team.
After his playing days he turned to coaching where he worked as a position coach in a few stops and was the defensive coordinator at W.Va. State University.
“I have been fortunate to be at a few places and to have a few good players. Most importantly I have been able to work under some really good head coaches and learn a few things,” King said. “Now I am kind of putting my own spin on things down here at Mount View. It has been good so far. It gives me a chance to draw from where I have been and everybody that I have been able to work under.”
King stated that his initial goal is to create a new environment around the program. An environment based on accountability.
“You want to create a culture that is conducive to success. You have to have discipline and bring attention to some of the small things, but you also have to love them,” King said. “You have to show them that you care. They respect knowledge which they want. You have to be consistent with them and when they do good, you bring attention to it. When they do wrong, they have to understand why there is discipline.”
Mount View returns some players from last year, but many were young and were forced into the varsity fire.
“We have over half the team back this year. Now ninth graders had to play. Tenth graders had to play and some guys had to play that wasn’t ready to play,” King said. “Some of them had a bad first experience, so we are trying to teach them some things where we can go back and have some success.”
King and his staff began the rebuilding process back in the spring. Heading into preseason camp excitement was building because he was seeing positive signs of improvement.
“We have some kids that have been out there. Now as far as knowing what they were doing out there, that is something different,” King said. “We had to kind of strip them down this spring, start from point zero and build the concepts and techniques. We had a decent spring and got better at 7-on-7. We heard people talking about it who watched us from the first one down to the last one.”
While excitement and enthusiasm are up, building roster numbers will be the main challenge facing the new head coach.
“Our first four skills guys should do big things for us on the single-A level,” King said. “The problem right now is the depth behind them. Between the guys up front and the skill positions, I think we will be able to do some things. We will need to hold up conditioning-wise and try to get them in the best shape that you can. Playing the entire game is tough. Here at Mount View, numbers seem to be the Achilles Heel.”
Leading the skill group will senior wideout Jaron Hale who keeps opposing defensive coordinators up at night.
“I think Jaron will be a standout. He works and he is a different kind” King said. ” He doesn’t say much, but he is a leader by example. He works hard and plays hard. Jaron wants to go to the next level. I think he has the ability if he can get the right situation.”
Junior Jackson Rose is another player that has impressed King early in camp along senior Zy’Mir Martin.
“Jackson Rose is coming on. He is fighting for the quarterback position and he is having fun flying around on defense. He has a lot of confidence and has looked good at linebacker,” King said. “Zy’Mir Martin is another senior skill guy, a basketball player that received some all-state attention. He can do some good things for us.”
Hunter Muncy, Jacob Wright, Tanner Little and Tanner Castle all have a chance to do some big things this season for the Golden Knights according to their coach.
“I want to see these kids have some success. We are taking it game by game,” King said. “I heard Mike Tomlin say it. It is not about the destination, it is more about the journey. We want to enjoy the journey, game by game, and week by week. Can we get better at tomorrow’s practice.”
Mount View will open the season in Bradshaw against county rival River View before heading to Man in week two. The first home is week three against Tolsia with tough games later in the year against Sherman, Tug Valley and Westside.
