RIVERSIDE, W.Va. – There is still optimism within the Riverside Warriors locker room after dropping their first two games by an average of five points.
However, the Warriors will have the opportunity to flip the script on their 2022 season this evening. Riverside will welcome the St. Albans Red Dragons to Warrior Stadium in a matchup of 0-2 teams.
Fifth-year head coach Alex Daughtery, an alum of Riverside, is not seeing a pessimistic level of enthusiasm from his squad. Daughtery was a guest on the Thursday edition of the Kanawha Valley Sports Report.
“Five years ago, when I took this job, most of these games would have ended 56-0 or 48-0 to where our kids would have given up,” Daughtery said. “I looked at both of those games and said, ‘we are going to win those games.’ Our kids believed it. We get down early, but we have to find a way to eliminate that. We are seeing growth within our kids, especially in their mindset.
“I believe we will be a tough team if we can put together four quarters. I keep telling them that.”
In his first four years, Daughtery has posted a 9-30 record at Riverside. He remains intact in his philosophy and is not steering away from what he sees as the ultimate success of his program. Daughtery is starting to see his vision come to fruition.
“This is my hometown,” Daughtery stated. “This is where I love. Our kids deserve the best and all the love. When I decided to come back home and coach, I knew that not many people would want to do it. A lot of people don’t want the Riverside job. I knew it would be a hard job because they hadn’t had a winning season in 14 years. I don’t want anything easy. I have never been the guy to quit when things get difficult. What would I be teaching my kids if I did that?”
Daughtery remains loyal to his alma mater as he wears his emotions on his sleeve. The influence that he shows his players continues to flourish in Belle.
“It is hard to climb out from the bottom, but it is worth it,” Daughtery noted. “The kids and community deserve the best. I’m not saying that I’m the best, but I know that no one will outwork me. That is what I hang my hat on. I think they play hard for me because of that. I’m a hometown kid who knows what these kids go through.”
One of Daughtery’s big-named players on this year’s team is Braydin Ward. Ward received a few offers from Division I and II teams, including Marshall and West Virginia. Daughtery sees Ward continuing to blossom in his final season with the Warriors.
“He has always had the physical qualities. I think going into this year having that great off-season has helped his confidence,” Daughtery said. “He is a way more confident player, and he is a better leader. He used to be a quiet kid, but now he is one of the loudest in ensuring kids do what they need to. I pride our program on being a player-led team. All I can do is lead them and give them the tools, and Braydin has done a good job of using them. He has done great listening to the tools, asking questions, and putting it to work.”
Following their game against St. Albans, the Warriors’ schedule does not get any easier. They will take on Spring Valley following their bye week, then Huntington the following week.
“To me, it is continuing to believe that we can beat anybody,” stated Daughtery on what needs to happen for them moving forward. “In my past years, I don’t think our teams have thought that. I think teams just went out and played to play. We have to go out with a purpose. We have to be intentional in what we do in practice. We have to do what we must, even when the Friday night lights are not on. It is one game at a time.”
You can keep up with the Warriors and Red Dragons’ score by going to https://wvmetronews.com/high-school-football-scores/ starting at seven o’clock.