Blassingame confident heading into first season as Petrolia head football coach

The Brad Blassingame era at Petrolia is only a few months old, but the first-time head football coach is feeling confident heading into the 2024 season.

“I think we’re in a good spot,” Blassingame said. “Being able to start in April and having a little bit of an offseason to get to know the players really helped. I’ve been able to get to know some of those guys over the summer, too. I think we’re a little bit ahead of the game as far as starting the season goes.”

But Blassingame can’t deny there’s still plenty of work to do with two-a-day practices on the horizon.

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“I think our biggest challenge is going to be like with any coaching change. We’re putting on a whole new offense and defense,” Blassingame said. “Having to do that on both sides of the ball is going to take a little time.”

Football isn’t the only sport that Blassingame had to worry about this summer. Athletic directors at small schools often have to wear many hats and think about an entire athletic program.

And while he was trying to get his full staff in place, Blassingame also had to coordinate the summer workout programs for the baseball and volleyball teams.

Baseball wasn’t a problem, considering he has been the skipper at Holliday and Petrolia.

Volleyball? That was new.

“I knew how to put the net up,” Blassingame joked. “I offered very, very little.”

But with a full coaching staff, including former Holliday girls basketball coach Derek Winn as his offensive coordinator, Blassingame is ready to focus on football.

“I think we’re in a good spot,” Blassingame said. “We’ve got around 46 kids signed up for football. That’s a really good number for Petrolia.”

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Offense

The offensive scheme is still in the works for the Pirates, but Blassingame expects them to base out of the flexbone and mix in some of the wing-T principles he and Winn learned at Holliday.

The strength of the offense will be in the trenches, where senior Brady Wood will be the anchor at center. He’ll be joined by senior Rasty Washburn and junior Ethan Holley, a state powerlifting qualifier who didn’t play last season.

There will be a competition at quarterback between juniors Tripp Watson and Greyson Elledge.

Teagan Swenson is expected to be the team’s fullback, a more vital position in the flexbone or wing-T set, with Joaquin Martinez and Brody Jackson also tabbed to fill roles in the backfield.

The Pirates do have a proven receiver in tight end Ramsey Hensley, who is also a valuable blocker. Junior Sawyer Dunn, senior Aaron Gallagher and sophomore Hayden Pierson will also mix in on the outside.

Defense

The Pirates' defense will also have Holliday influences with Blassingame coordinating a similar 3-4 scheme he helped run with former Eagle defensive coordinator Kyle Tucker.

Wood will again be the anchor, playing nose guard. Washburn and Christopher Vallance are expected to be ends.

Wood could also seen time at linebacker, but Hensley gives the Pirates a proven high-level defender at outside linebacker. Gallagher, Swenson and John Dagenais will rotate at inside linebacker. The coaching staff is excited about the development of sophomore Kason Gee.

The secondary will feature Martinez, Elledge and Dunn rotating at corner with sophomore Brodie Jackson likely filling in at one of the safety spots.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Blassingame confident heading into first season as Petrolia head football coach