Rookie Of the Year: Coach Pettway Tackles First Year as Head Coach

With a man as physically big as Coach Eric Pettway, it would be impossible to say he lived in anyone's shadow. Coach Pettway is an accomplished man of his own merits. He had proved himself on the field in various levels of football, and got the chance to coach high school football. This was all before he made a home at River Rouge where he and a dear friend got to build a program of their liking, from the ground up.

Over the years, Coach Pettway has grown himself to be more of a people person. It comes naturally with his territory. Pettway has been working with youth for over a decade. He is currently the Dean of Students at Sabbath Middle School, a position where he hardly has time to sit. At Sabbath, Pettway has an opportunity to build relationships with potential players and their families early. Creating opportunities to watch the progress of players from 6th grade to 12th. This helps him strengthen the relationships with players when they make it that far in the program.

The program became a Michigan football powerhouse. It has sent handfuls of students across the country to play college football, and earned multiple titles throughout the years, including a state championship to River Rouge in 2019. Eventually there came a time where the regime needed to change. People needed to move on, and positions became available. Naturally team staff decided that Coach Pettway should fill the empty slot. The team's blessing, or Pettway's successful record didn't automatically grant him the keys to the kingdom.

Pettway sat down with the River Rouge administration to prove that he was just as good in the hot seat as he is on the field. Pettway weighed his options as Rouge weighed their own. But it was ultimately decided that the team's original ideas were correct. Eric Pettway is the best man for the job as the head coach of the River Rouge football team.

Things went along as they should, and the coaching staff held itself together through the shift. Players were aware that the expectation of their character, and performance did not change. Practice and workouts stood true to the River Rouge standard, preparing the panthers to face the thirteenth hardest schedule in the state.

Regardless of the numbers, or opinions the Panthers had a good season. Finishing 6-3, and bringinging home a Prep Kickoff Classic trophy. The loss in the playoffs to back to back state champion Detroit King is a necessary part of football. Coach Pettway is already making the adjustments to improve.

Xavier Jones - How was your first season as a head coach?

Coach Pettway - It was a really good year. I enjoyed it, and got to learn a lot. This year has finally given me the opportunity to understand what comes with a head coaching position. It's one thing to be an assistant to the head coach. But there's a different element involved when you have to cross the t's and dot the i's yourself.

Xavier Jones - Was it a culture shock transiting over from assistant head coach, to head coach?

Coach Pettway - I wouldn't call it a culture shock, more of an attitude adjustment. In my regular life, I'm a pretty cool and agreeable individual. That was a more understandable stance being assistant head coach in a program like ours, and being a position coach doesn't come with the same duty of authority. As a head coach your word is trusted to be more absolute. You have to stand on everything to everybody that's involved in the high school football process. Definitely don't be afraid to hurt feelings, but be prepared to prove your leadership and decision making ability

Xavier Jones - What's the most difficult thing about the head coaching position at this point in the job?

Coach Pettway - Scheduling, and that's due to the fact that we're an independent school. It would be great to be part of a conference that could schedule us six or seven games. Having to go out and find nine games every year is a headache.

Xavier Jones - It was cited online that River Rouge had the thirteenth hardest schedule in the state. Was that a challenge for your first year as head coach?

Coach Pettway - It was tough, but every year we want to play the best competition. Win lose or draw we want to put our program on stage against whatever the best programs in the state would be. Eventually we'll find out who's top notch. This year we took a few lumps to repeat state champions DeLsalle and Detroit King, St Ignatius one of the best teams in Ohio, and a very talented Southfield team. Tough losses from tough teams, but we're ready for next year.

Xavier Jones - How do you feel about the team's progress moving forward into next year?

Coach Pettway - Last season there was a bit of chaos, with all things considered it wasn't the smoothest transition. We had a shutdown during the off season, and that threw us off focus. Moving forward, there's nothing to transition to, and no shutdowns in the foreseeable future. Considering we lost most of our big games in the final minutes. The team knows exactly what we need to focus on. We're going into next season with one of the most athletic rosters since 2019. That was the year we won the State Title, so I'm excited to put these guys on the field.