BY MARK MORING, Eastern Shore Post —
There’s an electronic sign in front of Nandua High School flashing a series of messages that can be clearly seen when riding by on Lankford Highway.
One of the most frequent messages speaks volumes about school spirit and family loyalty to the school. At regular intervals these words shine bright: Once a Warrior, always a Warrior.
That’s certainly the case for Nandua’s new varsity football coach, Trahern Vinnie, one of the best to ever wear the maroon and gray. As a four-year starter at running back, Vinnie ran for an astonishing 4,988 yards and 50 touchdowns from 2001 to 2004. He also won a state wrestling title as a sophomore.
Vinnie was recently named the Warriors’ new coach after former skipper Dennis McCall stepped aside for medical reasons. McCall, who remains at Nandua as a math teacher, went 12-12 in his two years at the helm, going 5-0 in the Eastern Shore District and winning back-to-back league titles.
Vinnie was McCall’s defensive coordinator both of those years. His elevation to the top spot was a natural progression, says Nandua athletic director Luke Brankley.
“He’s homegrown, he knows the Shore, and he knows the kids he’s working with,” says Brankley. “And he has good knowledge of the game.”
Brankley was a senior on the football team when Vinnie was a freshman astonishing his teammates by running for 1,207 yards and 10 touchdowns in the 2001 season.
Vinnie is excited to be coaching at his alma mater on the field where he carried the ball 693 times for almost three total miles over those four years.
“It’s been a blessing,” he says. “To go back to my old school, to be able to help out, and to put students in a position to succeed — it’s definitely been a blessing.”
He might need some extra blessings to continue Nandua’s recent success. On offense, the Warriors lost four all-district seniors to graduation, including offensive player of the year, quarterback Isaac Stodghill. On defense, they lost three all-district players to graduation.
But their biggest loss may have been an underclassman — linebacker/receiver Nazere Blake, the district’s defensive player of the year as a sophomore. Blake’s family has moved to Snow Hill, where he will play for the Eagles. (Circle your calendars: Blake and the Eagles visit Nandua on Friday, Sept. 13.)
Vinnie admits that losing Blake was a big blow and that it’ll be a challenge to fill his shoes in addition to the gaps left by those who graduated.
“We’ve got a lot of new faces out here,” he says. “What are our strengths? That’s a good question. We’re still figuring things out.
“I’m not sure yet how good we can be. But we feel like we are going to find a way to defend that district title.”
Nandua’s top returning player is junior Eli Parker, an all-district pick as a receiver, linebacker, and kick returner. Keron Matthews, who was an all-district selection on both offense and defense, will anchor both lines as a senior.
McCall believes the Warriors are in good hands with his successor.
“Trahern has been a great assistant, and he’s ready to take over,” he says. “I couldn’t think of a better person to be head coach.”
Vinnie’s family has been on the Shore for generations. His father, James Vinnie, played football at Central High School. Vinnie and his wife, Heather, a pre-K teacher at Accawmacke Elementary, are the proud parents of a baby daughter named Nyla.
The Warriors begin the season Aug. 29 at Rappahannock. In last year’s season opener, Nandua beat the Raiders 32-17.
