Back in the Day

Except this action wasn’t a football game. It wasn’t Collegiate vs. St. Christopher’s in another late-fall classic. It wasn’t the state championship. There was no Russell Wilson directing the Cougars.

 

On this recent Thursday morning, the action was simply a bunch of fifth grade guys going through their paces during phys ed class, and McFall, who retired in 2013 after 43 years at Collegiate, wasn’t coaching. Instead, he was enjoying a leisurely visit to his old stomping ground.

 

McFall served as head football coach from 1986 through 2006 and amassed a 127-66-1 record. His teams won five Prep League and four consecutive VISAA titles. During the 19 years he headed the baseball program, the Cougars won the league five times and the state once, in 1996.

 

He also served as director of athletics from 1987 until 2013. Shortly after his retirement, Memorial Hall was renamed in his honor. In 2014, he was inducted into Collegiate’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

 

McFall has kept a low profile around campus since his retirement. His attitude has been to let the coaches coach and the athletic administrators do their jobs without his unsolicited advice. That said, he’s always been available to offer guidance and insights, he’s a regular at athletic events, and he enjoys reminiscing about, but not dwelling in, the past.

 

Reminiscing was the purpose of his visit on this clear, bright, shirt-sleeve warm fall day. For an hour or so, we stood on the newly installed, state-of-the-art turf, shared memories, and reflected on Collegiate sports back in the day.

 

“I remember how little grass there was,” McFall began as he scanned the immaculate carpet of green. “Between the hash marks was all dirt. There was no crown. They didn’t cut the grass much because they thought that would keep it from growing. Now we know the more you cut it, the more it grows.”

 

He recalled a dark, rainy Friday afternoon during the Grover Jones era when Virginia Episcopal School, a Prep League affiliate until 2005, came to North Mooreland Road.

 

“The refs actually had to hand the ball to the center because the water was so deep that they couldn’t put the ball down because it would have floated off,” he said. “It was unbelievable. We’d have never played today. I look at this field today and go, ‘Wow! What would Grover would say?’”

 

Then there was the 1994 Homecoming thriller when Collegiate defeated St. Christopher’s 30-28.

 

“That was such a big game,” McFall said. “The place was packed. There wasn’t even a place to stand along the fence. We thought we’d let one get away when St. Christopher’s scored to take the lead. Then we got the ball back, moved it down the field.”

 

On what was apparently the game’s final play, the Saints were flagged for pass interference, which allowed the Cougars one untimed play. That no-time-on-the-clock opportunity resulted in a 10-yard touchdown connection from Chuck McFall (Charlie’s son) to Donny Wilson, a massive celebration, and a lifetime of memories.

 

“One play,” McFall said. “You win or you lose. We ran a little sprint-out pass because they were putting heat on Chuck. The back on the right side missed his block, and Chuck almost sprinted into the tackle. Just when he got rid of the ball, he got clobbered. Donny caught it on the 1 and did a great job getting across the goal line.”

 

From 2003-2006, McFall’s final four years as head coach, the Cougars went 39-4 and established themselves as one of the preeminent programs in Virginia at any level.

 

Senior quarterback Peyton Stinson led the way in 2003.

 

“Peyton broke his elbow in the first scrimmage of his junior year,” McFall recalled. “That really hurt him. After his first two games (in ’03), he got it together. A lot of people forget what a great season he had.”

 

The charismatic, supremely talented Wilson directed the show from 2004 through 2006 with the same aplomb he did in the ensuing years at N.C. State and Wisconsin and with the Seattle Seahawks.

 

“Russell made me a good coach,” McFall said, repeating once again a comment he’s made many times. “He had a really good supporting cast, his buddies, and made them all better whether it was in the weight room or on the field. They didn’t want to let him down. They knew they were playing with somebody special. They were a team. As a coach, you always hope you can get guys to play together. They did. They didn’t want to lose. It was definitely a special time for me.”

              -- Weldon Bradshaw