Victories have been hard to come by for High Point in recent seasons. So has consistency. New coach Bill Percey hopes he can bring both back to the Wildcats football program.
High Point finished the season 3-6, winning a crossover game against Morris Catholic in the finale. Percey became the new head coach in late November, his second time as head coach and nearly a decade removed from his first stint.
"We just needed some stability," Percey said. "We had some trust issues, so it was important to instill that trust and commitment back into the kids."
High Point has had three different coaches in the past decade. Austin Caldwell took over for Jim Delaney in July 2021, then was removed the following summer before being reinstated amid public outcry .
Caldwell stayed on for two more seasons, and Percey was elevated from assistant to head coach in late November, a position he was previously hired for 13 years ago.
Percey led High Point to a 5-5 record in 2011 before two lean seasons led to the start of Delaney's tenure. In the last decade, High Point has had moments of success, including four playoff appearances and two playoff victories.
"You have to be transparent with these kids," Percey said about the coaching changes. "They see right through someone who is fake. It was important for the players but also for the parents to show that transparency to try and move forward and focus on the foundation of the program."
That foundation is built upon youth. There are only nine seniors are currently on the Wildcats' current roster, alongside 18 juniors who were thrown into roles late last season to gain experience.
"We weren't going anywhere late last season and we took advantage of that by playing sophomores," Percey said. "A lot of kids stepped up and did a good job. Finishing 3-2 in our last five games showed they worked through issues in real time and we hope that we benefit from those growing pains this year."
The tradition
Beginning football play in 1967, it took until the 2001 season for the Wildcats to reach the postseason for the first time.
High Point has now reached the postseason six times.
The Wildcats have reached the sectional semifinals four times, including recent trips in 2016 and 2018. They've never reached a sectional final.
The challenge
Consistency has alluded High Point for more than a decade, but Percey has been a mainstay around the program.
Shifting from the American White division of the SFC to the American Blue means High Point will face a group of programs with strong traditions. In addition to perennial title contender Newton, the division includes Lenape Valley, Kittatinny, Hackettstown and Sussex Tech.
"It's almost like the old SCIL," Percey said. "It's a division that has plenty of tradition mixed in with some young talent. I think it'll be a battle week in and week out. Our goal has to be a conference championship first and foremost, and doing it with teams like that in our way will teach us a great deal about ourselves."
Expectations
The Wildcats hope they can get off to a hot start ahead of a tough stretch of games in late September and early October. The regular-season finale against Whippany Park could prove to be a win-and-in situation for either or both teams
High Point hopes to improve with and a bolstered coaching staff that includes former Randolph head coach Will Nahan.
"It's going to be a tremendous thing for us," Percey said. "We're going to be tested, but defensively we want to swarm to the ball. We're going to have to be good tacklers and keep that communication up. It's going to be important to make sure that we stay in games early."
Schedule
Aug. 29: vs. Wallkill Valley
Sept. 5: vs. Hackettstown
Sept. 14: at Kittatinny
Sept. 20: at Parsippany
Sept. 27: vs. Newton
Oct. 4: vs. Vernon
Oct. 11: at Lenape Valley
Oct. 19: at Sussex Tech
Oct. 25: vs. Whippany Park
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: High Point football seeks to establish consistency in 2024 | State of the Program
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