>All-Time Series: Greenbrier East leads, 3-0. The two schools scheduled a two-game, non-MSAC series in 2007 and 2008, before renewing an extension for 2009 and 2010.

>Last Meeting: August 28, 2009 at Fairlea – Greenbrier East 14, Lincoln County 12. In front of one of the largest crowds in recent memory at Spartan Stadium, Greenbrier East won its third straight season opener as the Spartans held off a late Lincoln County rally to get the win. The Panthers scored with 35 seconds to play, but couldn’t convert on a game-tying two-point conversion. Lincoln County recovered the onside kick, but a Hail Mary was deflected at the goal line on the game’s final play. Nathan Lilly rushed 11 times for 96 yards and two touchdowns. Spartan head coach Aaron Baker got his first career victory in his first game, as Greenbrier East started 1-0 on the 2009 season.

>Two Years Ago: August 29, 2008 at Fairlea – Greenbrier East 16, Lincoln County 8. The Spartans won back-to-back season openers for the first time since the 1992 and 1993 seasons with the home victory against Lincoln County. The Greenbrier East defense was the key as the Spartans stopped the Panthers four times inside the five-yard-line. Brent Robertson and Ben McMillion scored touchdowns as the Spartans started at 1-0 on the 2008 season.

>Three Years Ago: August 24, 2007 at Hamlin – Greenbrier East 34, Lincoln County 12. In a game played in a heat wave with temperatures in the mid-90s, the Spartans won their first season opener in nine years and their first road season opener in 15 seasons. East scored on its first possession and never trailed. The Spartans were led by Jacob Coleman’s 21 carries for 137 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Brandon Dolan completed four-of-four passes for 93 yards and one touchdown as Greenbrier East had 392 total yards. With the win, the Spartans started at 1-0 on the 2007 season.

Enthusiasm marks East practices

By Gary Fauber
Register-Herald Assistant Sports Editor

It only took one day for Aaron Baker’s first goal to be realized. He hopes it’s just the first step toward a much bigger goal.

The new head football coach at Greenbrier East wanted to see in the neighborhood of 60 players on the first day of practice. Fifty-seven players reported early Monday before two more showed up later in the day.

On Tuesday, the number had increased to 62.

“Fifty-seven, I was fine with that,” Baker said. “As long as we were over the 55 mark.”

A turnout of 62 may seem small for a Class AAA team. Not so when you consider the 40 or so players who had been turning out in recent years.

It is evident that a new enthusiasm has found its way to the Spartan camp. And it all starts with Baker, the team’s youngest-ever coach and the first Greenbrier East alumnus to hold the position.

He was awarded the job June 9, less than one week before the summer practice window began. That time was used to install the playbook and acclimate the players to what Baker plans to do.

Not that much introduction is needed. Before taking the job at East, Baker coached most of the current Spartans during his four years at Eastern Greenbrier Middle. The team went a combined 15-1 the last two seasons.

Ultimately, of course, Baker wants to help get East back to the playoffs. It will take a special group of players to get things turned around, and Baker feels he has that already.

“We have 14 seniors and that senior leadership is starting to pay off,” he said. “Especially (Tuesday), at the end of practice when some of the kids started to get a little sluggish, the seniors picked them up.

“This senior class is going to be remembered as the class that helped get it turned around.”

Baker’s enthusiasm is being met by his players.

“The intensity is there and the enthusiasm is there,” Baker said. “That has shown the first two days of practice. Practices have been crisp and smooth.

“The numbers part helps. If we can get this year past us and win a few games, then (the turnout) might be 80 next year.”

The Spartans open the season Aug. 28 at home against Lincoln County.

— E-mail: gfauber@register-herald.com

Baker trying to turn things around at Greenbrier East

By Rick Ryan
Charleston Gazette Assistant Sports Editor

Aaron Baker walks into a difficult challenge this year as a new football coach in the uber-tough Mountain State Athletic Conference.

Baker, 32, takes over at Greenbrier East, becoming the youngest football head coach in school history and the first alum to serve as head coach.

East hasn't experienced much success lately, going 12-58 over the past seven seasons, with its last winning record (6-4) coming in 2001. But the Spartans are banking on the enthusiasm of Baker, who moves over following a successful stint at Eastern Greenbrier Middle School.

"We need to win to turn the program around,'' Baker said. "That's been a little tough. I think the kids are buying into what we're doing, and are excited about what we're doing. That's the big thing of it - getting the kids on board.''

Baker hasn't had a tough sell installing his new spread offense and attacking defense - big changes for the Spartans, who ran a low-risk ball-control attack the past few seasons under Mike Michael.

"They're really enjoying putting the ball in the air now,'' Baker said. "We want to be aggressive on offense, take the ball downfield and score. Then we want to put pressure on opposing teams and get the ball back. We're changing things up a little bit, and coming after people on defense.''

Baker said sophomore-to-be Clay Ayers has a chance to be "a heck of a quarterback'' in his new system. Ayers completed 23-of-68 passes last year for 624 yards and four touchdowns.

More than 40 players have shown up for each of East's summer workout sessions so far, and Baker hopes to keep building momentum on the team and with the fans.

"We want to make as many people interested in the program as possible,'' he said. "Down through the years, we've lost a little bit of support and lost a few fans. With our road schedule being close and everything, I think we'll do that. We've generated interest so far. It's been fun, been interesting getting things turned around. Now we need to win a few games.''

East, which generally logs more miles on country roads than any other school in the MSAC because of its remote location in Greenbrier County, actually has about as favorable a road schedule as possible.

Its trips include relatively short jaunts to Woodrow Wilson, Bluefield, Alleghany (Va.) and Princeton. The one trip of any distance is Hurricane.

Aaron Baker hired as football coach
at Greenbrier East

By Dave Morrison
Register-Herald Sports Editor

Aaron Baker grew up in Greenbrier County with a dream.

“I always wanted to be the coach at Greenbrier East,” Baker said Tuesday evening.

Only an hour before, that dream was realized when he was named the new Spartans head football coach, replacing Mike Michael, who resigned after last year’s 2-8 season.

Baker, 32, is the youngest to be named head coach at East and is also the first alumnus of the school to hold the position.

Baker had been the head coach at Eastern Greenbrier Middle the last four years and his team went undefeated last year and has won 15 straight. His last two teams went 15-1.

He was an assistant at Greenbrier East before that, spending one year under Bob McClintic and one under Andy Grogg.

“When coach Grogg got the job here, I had applied for the job and they told me I needed some head coaching experience,” Baker said.

“Then the Eastern Greenbrier job came open and I took that and ran with it. I figured it was a good chance to get that experience.

“We had some success the last couple of years. I have always followed the motto that players win games and coaches lose games. So winning 15 straight games should really be attributed to the kids.”

Baker will be introduced to the fans tonight at a Meet the Coach evening at Spartan Stadium at 7 p.m. A player-parent meeting will be held following the event.

That he is from Greenbrier County and played for the Spartans matters only in that most of the community knows him, Baker said.

“I don’t know how much of a difference it makes,” Baker said. “Obviously (the two previous coaches, Michael and Andy Grogg) are friends of mine. I really miss seeing coach Grogg around here (he passed away last year while an assistant under his brother Kevin at Wyoming East).

“The people here in the community know me and they’ve known me for years. My goals are going to be the same. The main thing is that it isn’t about me, it’s about the program. I want to represent the school and the county well and put Greenbrier East back on the map in the state.”

Baker said his team will run from a spread offense.

“I like to throw the football, I think it’s fun,” Baker said. “We have an experienced quarterback in Clay Ayers and we have talent on both sides of the football.”

Baker will also emphasize special teams.

“We will kick field goals,” he said. “We’ll return kicks, return punts. Special teams is an important part of the game and we will work hard on that aspect of the game.”

Baker said he has been working with the team in the weight room since November and he had “a couple of kids who are benching over 300, two or three others in the 270-280 pound range. The weight room will be an important component of the program.”

Baker played for Greenbrier East from 1991-1993 and twice the Spartans made the playoffs.

And he is very aware of the rivalry with Woodrow Wilson, which East plays in Beckley the second week of the season.

“When I was a senior we went up there and beat them and basically knocked those guys out of the playoffs,” Baker said. “I have a lot of respect for coach (John H.) Lilly. They have turned out a lot of great players and kids. In my opinion, it’s our turn now. Our kids are willing to work hard. That game is the second week of the season. I’ve had that one penciled on the calendar since I applied for the job.”

The Spartans, like other teams around the state, start the three-week practice period Monday.

“It’s not in pads but we’re going to install our offense, defense and special teams,” Baker said. “We can get a gauge of the players and their abilities.”

Baker, who has a degree in bio-technology, is married to the former Allison Holiday and they have two sons, Nathan (5) and Rhett (2).