MURFREESBORO – Will Hester’s coaching philosphy never changed.
The results, though, have done a 180.
The second-year Ravenwood football coach leads the Raptors (14-0) into the BlueCross Bowl Class 6A football championship game at 7 p.m. Saturday (WUXP-30) at Tennessee Tech to face top-ranked and defending state champion Maryville (14-0).
Hester, who previously was a head coach at La Vergne before eventually landing at Ravenwood as the head coach in 2013, said showing he cared about his players meant more than any offensive or defensive schem he could implement.”
“The kids didn’t care what I knew about football until they knew I cared about them as individuals,” said Hester, who is making his first head coaching appearance in a state championship game. “I think that’s truly where it starts. They found out that I care about them.
“I want them to be successful, and now they will play as hard as I can.”
Hester went 9-21 in three seasons at La Vergne High from 2007-09 after replacing Don Thomas as head coach. Hester’s best season was in 2007 when the Wolverines went 5-5. All five losses were by a field goal or less and two were by just a point.
After leaving La Vergne, Hester spent three seasons at Brentwood before rejoining the head coaching ranks. But he knew one day he wanted to be a head coach again.
“I knew it had to be the right situation,” Hester said. “I had to have the right staff. I think that’s the key
“There are a lot of great coaches out there, but you can’t do it by yourself — especially at the 6A level.”
Ravenwood principal Pam Vaden, who was Hester’s former assitant principal when he was a Brentwood High student, allowed Hester to compile a staff of 11.
“We knew each other,” said Hester of Vaden. “She made the commitment. The commitment is there. And the rest is kind of history.”
The Raptors, who are led by wide receiver Van Jefferson, a Georgia commitment and Mr. Football fianlist, are in their third state championship in school history.
Ravenwood won the 2005 Class 5A state championship, finishing 14-1. The Raptors followed that with a 10-5 season and loss to Smyrna in the 2006 championship game.
However, the Raptors had just one playoff appearance after the 2006 title game until Hester took over. Ravenwood reached the second round of the 6A playoffs last year.
“It’s a pretty amazing deal,” Hester said. “We took the job knowing what Ravenwood had been and knowing what we knew it could be. I grew up in the community. You knew it could be good again. No one really knew why it wasn’t what it was. I know the kids weren’t necessarily believing in themselves.”
But they do now.
Contact Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 or tkreager@dnj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kreager.