The familiar face of Scott McFarland on the sidelines at a recent West Union football game. McFarland recently announced that he will be stepping down from his roles with the program. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)

The familiar face of Scott McFarland on the sidelines at a recent West Union football game. McFarland recently announced that he will be stepping down from his roles with the program. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)

By Mark Carpenter

People’s Defender

The Adams County football programs suffered a big loss recently when Scott McFarland, one of the founding members of the West Union program and the only director the Southern Ohio Independent League has seen, announced that he would be stepping down from all his roles with the football program.

“It certainly has been a difficult decision since I love coaching and mentoring these young athletes,” McFarland said in an exclusive interview with The Defender. “The two main drivers really came down to my work schedule just not supporting my ability to be at practice every day due to travel requirements and a growing desire to spend more time on the weekend with my family, including my new grandson. This past spring I took on a new position through a company reorganization which was a blessing from a professional standpoint but also came with higher expectations and sacrifices. I knew that sooner or later this decision would have to be made to properly prioritize work responsibilities and my volunteer role as a coach.”

One positive from COVID has been that we have been on travel restriction the past two years which allowed me to continue to coach. My wife Rhonda and I will still be involved in helping run West Union football and Freedom Field, just not in a day-to-day coaching role. We love seeing the kids of our community having the opportunity to play football like other counties in Ohio.”

Looking back, McFarland recalls how the whole process of restarting the football program in West Union, which soon expanded to other parts of the county.

“Back in 2011, we had a few kids, including my son Carson, who wanted to play football and planned on signing up to play in Manchester. We were asked to hold a sign up for more West Union kids and ended up with 24 fifth and sixth graders who all wanted to play together on the same team. We decided to try and start our own West Union team and within three weeks raised the money to buy equipment and started practice. “

“The amount of community support and interest from kids was like a tidal wave. The following year we added third and fourth grades and Junior High so that kids could continue to play. In 2013, we added High School and had over 30 players sign up to play for Coach Steve Darby. The program has continued to have 80-100 kids every year participating in football and it has proven to be financially possible in Adams County. We’ve now seen successful programs at North Adams, Peebles, and Eastern Brown to develop the Southern Ohio Independent League.”

Over the past nine season, the West Union football program has experienced tremendous success, including SOIL championships and players who moved on to play a the collegiate level.

“ We’ve had so many great memories, little victories, big games, championships, and so many smiles on the faces of these young players,” commented McFarland. “The greatest memory for me will always be the personal development of these players on and off the field. In a given year, over half of the kids playing football are not participating in any other athletics either due to lack of interest, body type, or lack of support. We have a lot of great athletes that come from challenging home life situations and to wear that Dragon jersey with pride and feel a part of something positive that gives them a sense of purpose and a family that they might not otherwise have,”

“Over the years we’ve seen troubled kids improve their behavior and grades as a result of playing football which is something we emphasize at all age levels. We’ve seen players with disabilities who have never played sports before score a touchdown and feel on the top of the world with their whole team rallying around them. We’ve seen a player struggling emotionally surrounded by teammates, kneeling in prayer to lift up their teammate in a time of need. We’ve had players fulfill their dream of playing football in college, one of whom will be graduating with a Master’s Degree this spring. We’ve seen so many kids learn valuable life lessons and create great memories over the years. In a nutshell, we’ve seen opportunity turn into accomplishment.”

“From a football standpoint, winning the SOIL championship and playing in the SOIL Super Bowls are certainly special memories,” McFarland continued. “The rivalry games with other local schools are always a lot of fun. Playing out of conference and competing with some other OHSAA schools was also a great experience. Hearing from other area coaches that we would compete very well in the OHSAA state playoffs is certainly a validation and a huge compliment to our players and program. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to be a part of it all.”

“The next step for football in Adams County is to become school-sponsored. Together we have a great opportunity to close the gaps that currently exist with accountability for academics and behavior just like other sports and provide greater opportunities for local and state-wide recognition, consistent with other Ohio schools. Football has demonstrated that it can be financially successful in our county and we firmly believe and have proven that we can overcome any obstacles that may stand in the way if we work together with open minds and a desire to provide a positive opportunity for our kids. It will help our families, help our schools, build stronger communities, develop greater school pride, and create more opportunities for a wider cross-section of students. We look forward to having further discussions with the ACOVSD administration and Board to make this possible for the students of Adams County.”

With McFarland stepping away, what does the future hold for West Union football?

“The head coach of our program wears many hats, much more than just coaching a high school team,” says McFarland. “In all sports sports, there are not a lot of people who have the willingness to take on a very long list of responsibilities. We looked for someone that would be committed to our program for the next 5-10 years. Knowing his successful background with starting and organizing the wrestling program at West Union and a desire to see our program succeed long term for his own two sons , our board selected Michael Felts as the new head coach at West Union. Felts has already been working with college coaches and other high school coaches to develop his knowledge and skills and will do a fine job in carrying on the West Union football tradition.”