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ALL-AREA FOOTBALL COACH OFYEAR Berry wins his way

The Free Lance-Star's 2005 Football Coach of the Year: Jeff Berry, Brooke Point

Date published: 12/9/2005

By TAFT COGHILL JR.

Jeff Berry finally can say he did it with his team.

Berry took over the Brooke Point High School football program in July of 2000 following the sudden death of his father, Tom, who was the Black-Hawks' coach at the time.

Just two weeks before preseason practice was scheduled to begin, Tom Berry suffered a massive heart attack at age 53 while doing lawn work at his Stafford County home. The former Stafford High School head coach was preparing for his third season at the helm of Brooke Point.

Jeff Berry, who had just graduated from Shepherd (W.Va.) College in 1999, was an unpaid assistant on his father's staff when he took over head coaching duties.

It was the consensus among Brooke Point's coaches that Jeff, just 27, lead the team on an interim basis.

"It wasn't difficult to take over," said Berry, who helped coach the defensive line as an assistant the previous season. "I knew how important that team was to my dad. I wanted to give him the respect he deserved by carrying on. I really didn't have much time to think about it."

The Black-Hawks went 8-3 and lost in the first round of the Northwest Region playoffs to Potomac that year, but Berry didn't feel the successful season was the result of a masterful coaching job.

The Black-Hawks were led by running back Larry Smith, who rushed for 1,994 yards and 25 touchdowns that year.

"Anybody could've came off the streets and coached that team," Berry said. "We had a lot of talent."

Berry went a combined 17-23 from 2001-04, before breaking through with a 7-4 campaign this fall. The Black-Hawks were 4-6 in 2004.

Their marked improvement earned Berry, 32, The Free Lance-Star Coach of the Year honors.

"That's awesome," Brooke Point senior running back/linebacker Rex Bradford said of his coach's award. "He deserves it. He really deserves it."

After his year as interim coach, Berry had to interview for the full-time job. He was hired by then-Brooke Point athletic director Chris Courtney, the same man who selected his father.

Courtney, who is now the athletic director at Mountain View High School in Stafford, said Jeff Berry was an ideal candidate because of his youthful enthusiasm.

This week, The Free Lance-Star is showcasing its 2005 fall All-Area Athletes. Here is the schedule for the respective high school sports: Monday: Golf Tuesday: Volleyball Wednesday: Cross country Yesterday: Field hockey Today: Football coach of the year Tomorrow: Football All-Area team Sunday: Football player of the year

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Date published: 12/9/2005