NBHS Football Coach Garry Black Looks Ahead

After a second-place finish in the Inter-County Conference, and an impressive 7-3 regular season record, coach Garry Black and the Northern Bedford varsity football team look to build on the foundation they laid last season as they prepare for the fall.

Coach Black is no stranger to football, or Northern Bedford. Black has a career in the sport spanning more than 30 years. The Penn State graduate played football in junior high and high school at Northern Bedford. He has found a home currently as coach for Northern Bedford, where he has been since 2004 – 18 long seasons, eight of those as head coach.

Seven-on-sevens

With the school year winding down, the students and Black can feel summer just around the corner. I have caught him at a chaotic time: locker clean-out day. The halls are bustling with students talking loudly, making summer plans.

Coach Black greets me with a smile and a handshake before leading me into his classroom that has a giant desk in the center. The room is big, with computers for his students and movie posters lining the walls. Black is wearing his Northern Bedford quarter-zip as he directs students, who run out of the class as soon as they hear the bell.

While it is nearly summer, Coach Black is still focused on football.

"We've been lifting since the end of last season," Coach Black said. "Now that school is over, we'll start with our seven-on-seven work."

Seven-on-seven work is when skill players run a non-contact game of football. It's a more organized version of a pick-up game in which players can refine their skills. Coach Black told me that the varsity squad likes to do two or three seven-on-seven tournaments over the summer, so that players can get back into the swing of things before practice starts again in August.

Black said that he is excited for the season to start. He has many student-athletes who were important to last year's run returning to his squad, including starting quarterback Eion Snider. Snider, who will be a junior in the fall, stood out last year. Snider threw for an impressive 1,245 yards and also tossed 14 touchdowns. Snider managed to limit the turnovers also, only throwing nine interceptions.

"He's a risk taker," Coach Black said. "He's a fearless quarterback with a fearless mindset."

Black told me that having a quarterback who takes risks can win games, but it can also lose games. Early in the season, it looked like Snider's risk-taking attitude would be more of a detriment than an asset to the team.

After winning the season opener by a score of 7-2 over Southern Huntingdon County, the Panthers dropped their next three games. They were outscored 112-7 in that span.

"We knew those were going to be tough games," Black said. "I just told the guys this is where we grow up, this is where we mature. We had to grow up fast, and at the end of the day I am happy for those games because those games helped us in the long run as the season continued."

'That game' and a changing mindset

Growing up as a team is exactly what Northern Bedford did, as the team came out of its early-season slump and won the last six games of the regular season. Not only did the Panthers win the district championship, but they also won their second state playoff game in school history, Northern Bedford's first since 1994.

"We got into inter-districts and we beat Reynolds," Black said. "I think that changed the mindset of kids on this team. Our athletes are talking about things they wouldn't have talked about in the past. They're talking about state championships, and competing at the state level."

Despite the football team's success, Coach Black still thinks about the loss the Panthers took in the following round to Redbank Valley. It was a game that saw a Panthers halftime lead erased, and a game that was tied at 14 heading into the fourth quarter.

"That game ... ." Coach Black said, pausing to find the right words. "I play it over in my head often. I won't say we were the better team cause we lost, but we outplayed them. What they had were splash plays."

Those splash plays included an 85-yard kick return for a touchdown, and a 40-yard game-winning touchdown run in the fourth quarter for Redbank Valley.

Despite those splash plays, Northern Bedford still had a shot to win the game. With under a minute remaining, the Panthers had the ball at the Bulldog's six-yard line, but were unable to put the ball in the end zone. The Panthers eventually fell 21-14, ending their season just short of the promised land.

"We have no reason to feel let down. We went from 1-3 to winning a state playoff game," Black said. "In my opinion, we showed that we have the ability to be a top-four or -five school in the state."

Lunch-pail mentality

That's the mentality Black has going into this season, a season where the team will have 16 fewer players on the roster, with 16 seniors graduating.

"The seniors were leaders. They really helped the young kids grow and kept them in line," Black said. "What's going to hurt the most is not having their leadership skills. They were a group of seniors with a lunch-pail mentality ... a 'let's go to work' mentality."

Black said that he hopes that the seniors' attitude has rubbed off on the players who will have the privilege of walking onto the field come fall. Players like tailback Adam Johnson, fullback Ashton Detterline, wide receiver Aaron Bowers – who received All-State accolades – and another wideout in Justin Fernandez.

"We have a lot of really hard-working kids," Coach Black said. "Those kids that play skill positions will really give our coaches a lot of confidence. Our line will have to grow, but we have the potential to have one of the biggest lines in a while. We have a couple guys who are 6'3", 6'4" and 285 pounds."

Players of that stature haven't been on Northern Bedford's team for some time, Coach Black said.

Loving the process

Northern Bedford does not have any revenge matches on the schedule this season, meaning the Panthers won't get to face a team that they lost to last season. Coach Black said he expects that the division will be less top-heavy. He said he expects the conference to be open for the taking, but also tight and competitive as always.

He also looks forward to playing Juniata this fall, a team that the Panthers beat by the slimmest of margins last season: 7-6.

The final question I had on my mind was an obvious one.

"Looking at this roster, and your schedule, is there any doubt in your mind that you can make another run this coming season?"

Coach Black gave me a response I wasn't expecting, but it was introspective, and indicative of Black's mentality as a coach.

"No! I think the thing that has changed in the mindset of our guys is that we can compete at this level," Coach Black said. "However, if you are always looking forward to the prize, you are going to miss what comes along with the ride. I talk to our guys about loving the process as much as you do the end result. So enjoy the days you get to come in and lift, and hang out with your friends. You never know when your last snap of high school football will be, so take it for what it is, enjoy it, and we'll take it from game one and the end results will be what they'll be, and we'll set up for postseason play and try to make a run at it."

Will the Panthers win what Coach Black refers to as the "prize"?

That remains to be seen. But Northern Bedford fans should take Black's advice to heart: "Enjoy the ride." An exciting ride should be in store for them this coming season. With skill players returning, new guys coming up the pipe, and a calm, confident coaching staff, Black is looking to maintain the school's winning culture.

I don't doubt them. Coach Black doesn't doubt them. Do you?

Editor's Note: Follow NBHS Panther football in the pages of the Herald this fall. We'll offer game previews, photos and round-ups.