Veterans Warhawks Kick Off Season Under New Head Coach Steven DeVoursney
The former head coach of Griffin and Cairo looks to give the Warhawks a fresh start after a 1-9 season in 2024
KATHLEEN, Georgia – (41NBC/WMGT) – Several season-opening rematches are on tap Friday, including a matchup featuring two new head coaches.
The Veterans Warhawks are looking for a fresh start after a 1-9 season. To help turn the program around, Veterans brought in head coach Steven DeVoursney, who has 22 years of head coaching experience at Griffin and Cairo. DeVoursney has five region titles and led the Bears to an undefeated state championship season in 2013.
He spent the last few years coaching at Orange Beach and Foley high schools in Alabama after leaving Cairo in 2021. Now, with a career record of 182-68, he’s bringing his championship pedigree to the Warhawks.
It won’t be easy. Veterans lost more than 40 seniors, including quarterback Brooks Masters and defensive end Kane Byrd. Plus, the Warhawks region, Region 2-5A, is among the toughest in the state, but DeVoursney is familiar with his foes. Houston County’s Jeremy Edwards served as his offensive coordinator at Cairo, and Thomas County Central’s head coach was his defensive coordinator at Griffin.
The Warhawks finished last in the region last season and haven’t won a region championship since 2013. Key returners include junior running back Tylan Glover and senior defensive end Nolan Thompson. Both DeVoursney and Thompson say the team needs to be more physical this season, something Thompson hopes will change the culture in his final year.
“Well, we still got a long ways to go,” DeVoursney said. “We’re just still teaching a lot, just fundamentals, and we were trying to get better at the fundamentals and trying to get better just, basics of football, and we’re behind in every phase. But you know, kids are working hard and they’re trying to get better, trying to learn. So hopefully we’ll get better as we go along. We’re just trying to be physical this year and get back to playing football and just blocking, tackling and holding on to the football. Those are the three things we’re kind of stressing and trying to improve on this year.”
“Man we’re trying to win,” Thompson said. “The last three years, disappointing. We’re trying to, you know, at least make the playoffs, hoping to get a state championship, just change the whole culture. It’s a whole different attitude and new approach to how we go about things, like way more flying around, you know, just better athletes overall. I think we’re just a whole better team, offensively, defensively, special teams wise. I haven’t made the playoffs my whole time in high school. So, I want to make the playoffs. I just want the team to be as successful as we can.”
“{Jones County} does a really good job,” DeVoursney said. “I mean, {Head Coach Justin Montgomery} has got them playing hard and playing physical. And, I mean, they were 10-2 last year, so they’ll make a deep run again this year.”
“They’re pretty fast paced,” Thompson said. “They align pretty gritty, pretty scrappy. They got some fast receivers, you know, but I think we got the talent and the hard work and dedication. We’re ready for it.”
Veterans is in search of just its fourth winning season in program history. The journey begins Friday night at Freedom Field against the Jones County Greyhounds. Catch highlights during The Endzone on 41NBC News at 11 p.m.
