Former NK coach honored

Fred Birchett, former New Kent High football coach and current coach at Lancaster High, has been named Washington Redskins High School Coach of the Week for the week of Nov. 1.

The Coach of the Week program is designed to recognize and reward excellence in high school football coaching.

Birchett has been coaching football for over 27 years with this season being his third as head coach at Lancaster. During his career, he has received several football coaching awards including Virginia High School Coaches Association State Football Coach of the Year (1997), Coach of the Year, Touchdown Club of Richmond (1997, 1999 and 2001) and Virginia High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year- East (2003).

This season, the Red Devils advanced to the Region A Division 2 title game and finished 10-2.

Birchett also serves as Lancaster’s athletics director and is a valued member of the school’s community.

According to principal Lori Watrous, Birchett motivates his students by emphasizing the concept of being a team. He expresses a genuine concern for the students and considers it his responsibility to provide student-athletes with the tools for academic and team success, she said in a press release.

It is because of his dedication and willingness to provide support to his student-athletes through conducting study halls, monitoring grades, and working with volunteers to mentor students for SAT’s, that both coach and his student-athletes are successful on and off the field, she added.