That just shows you that i

West johnston hires ragland

Benson randy ragland took to the teal and black of west johnston high school very quickly thursday afternoon.

"That's enough of that red and black,"Ragland joked as he slid on a west johnston polo shirt and baseball cap after being announced as the school's new http://kira0320.mex.tl/blog_0.html head football coach.

Ragland comes to west johnston from middle creek, where he led an offense that averaged more than 31 points per game last season.He coordinated the mustangs' offense for the past four seasons and previously coached at fuquay varina, the same school he graduated from in 1987.

The mustangs went 12 2 before falling in the 4 a eastern regional championship game to harnett central last fall.

Leaving that middle creek team one that will return many of its key players in the 2010 season was something ragland admitted he was a bit slow to come to grips with, but the allure of west johnston, a school that opened the same year that middle creek did was something that he couldn't turn down.

"A 4 a school in a great conference with athletes that can compete,"Ragland said. "This was just a good fit for me in every way. "

The mustangs have thrown the ball with great success over the past three seasons.

Garrett leatham passed for 3, 855 yards(275 per game)In 2009, and middle creek topped 2, 000 yards passing as a team in both 2007 and 2008.

"That just shows you that i'm a coach who's not afraid to throw the ball down the field,"Ragland said. "We're still going to be able to run the ball and play physical, but we'll http://familylobby.com/tuyburn/allnews.asp take some shots down the field as well. "

Point production has increased in each of those three seasons as well, from 19.2 per game in 2007 to 28.7 in '08 to last year's 31 plus.

Ragland went out of his way to thank middle creek coach sean crocker for his willingness to let him coach within his own personality and expressed a bit of regret at leaving such a talent laden squad coming back this fall.

"But today, i am a wildcat,"Ragland said. "I want the west johnston family to know that they are getting a coach that takes the responsibility of leading their young men very seriously. "

Ragland becomes the fourth head coach in the school's brief history.

West opened in 2002 and has played just seven seasons of varsity football.

Former garner coach charles bradshaw started the program in 2002(A season of junior varsity play only)And went 4 18 in two seasons as a varsity coach.Kwame dixon succeeded bradshaw and was 11 23 in three seasons, leading the wildcats to their first playoff appearance in 2007.

Dixon resigned shortly before the start of the 2008 season.Under bennett jones, the wildcats won their first eight games of that season, but were just 3 12 in their ensuing 15 games.Jones resigned his post last month, citing personal reasons.