CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — The Clover Hill Cavaliers football team is embarking on a new chapter under first-year head coach Matt Hutchings, who returns to his alma mater with hopes of turning around a program that hasn't won more than two games in any season since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hutchings, who previously led Midlothian to its best season in a generation just three years ago, is the third different head coach Clover Hill has had in the past four seasons.
"We've got some great young men," Hutchings said. "When we're asking of them everything, and we've had to do this ourselves, is everything's new. We have to go back sometimes be like, 'Hey, they've never ran this drill before. They've never done these types of things.'"
Players like senior Schaffer are optimistic about the changes Hutchings is implementing.
"I'm really hoping and looking forward to the connection that this team is going to have going forward. And I'm hoping that we can just improve, build a good foundation for the future of this program," he said.
The Cavaliers have struggled with team cohesion in recent years, according to players who have been in the program.
"One of the most important things that held us back on the field was that we weren't all one team, you know. Yeah, we all played together, but we didn't play together, if you know what I mean," Porter said.
Fields, another player, echoed those sentiments about last season's difficulties.
"Last year, it was a tough year all around, like, I don't even know where to start. The team morale was all the way down. Nobody was together," he said.
Despite the challenges, Fields remains committed to the sport and his team.
"I love the sport. This is all you know. Football brings everybody together, brings the community together," Fields said.
Hutchings took two years away from coaching after a medical scare involving his son, which caused him to reevaluate his priorities.
"I needed to step away for myself or my family, especially for my son. You know, putting that burden on my wife for that period of time, that was a real tough, difficult time for me. It took me a year. It took me a whole year to kind of like, analyze it, get over it, and figure it out. But I don't regret it one bit," Hutchings said.
With his son's health improved, Hutchings is focused on rebuilding the Cavaliers program that has just one playoff win in its history.
"We want to be able to compete against every single team. And I think that if we take those steps, then all those other things will come into play. But we got to just come out there and compete against another team and show that we can play with everybody on our schedule," he said.
The Cavaliers will open their season on the road at Meadowbrook on Aug. 28, seeking their first season-opening victory in four years.
CBS 6 provides Central Virginia with the most experienced local TV sports coverage in town. Count on Lane Casadonte and Sean Robertson for the most in-depth local sports coverage.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
