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New coach wants to bring varsity football back to Washington County
New coach wants to bring varsity football back to Washington County (bangordailynews.com)
Full story in the Bangor Daily News Summary By WQDY
Ian Pratt, former coach of the Calais Silverados, is returning to coaching football in Washington County.
He will be the head coach for the eight-man Washington Academy club team in East Machias this fall, replacing Rich Olivares.
Pratt hopes to bring the Raiders back to varsity Maine Principals Association-sanctioned eight-man North Small Schools status by 2024.
Olivares led the Raiders to a championship in their club league.
Washington County has not had a varsity program since 2021 .
Pratt is excited about the opportunity and is looking forward to coaching over 30 kids in the league.
He has previous coaching experience in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, and Washington County.
Pratt’s son, James, is a junior at WA and plays on the football team.
Ian praised Olivares for resurrecting the program last season and leading it to a title.
Washington Academy will have a JV program in addition to a varsity team this fall, which Pratt believes will benefit the program in the future.
Pratt plans to address the lack of a feeder system by implementing football in middle schools, potentially forming a co-operative team among several schools.
He wants his team to not only be competitive but to also be a perennial playoff-caliber team.
Pratt believes football builds character, resilience, and discipline. The team will start practice on August 7th.