SUFFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Nansemond River's football program has moved a step forward in each of the first four seasons with Alonzo Ricks at the helm. Now the Warriors hope to move into elite company.
"Unfinished business," Ricks said of his team's mindset during the preseason. "Just doing what we need to do to perfect our craft, but also to obtain our goal."
"I think we're just going to dominate," added senior offensive lineman Joey McGowan. "We're going to dominate some teams this year. That's the big word- dominate."
The Warriors seem ready for battle in 2025. They return eight starters on the offensive side of the ball and five on defense, have seniors who know what it takes to win and newcomers who bring plenty of talent. The squad wants to be a factor when few teams are left standing, but in order to do that, Ricks has his team focused on doing the most when everybody's working.
"There's been a lot of talk within us," the head coach noted. "The guys have really taken 'seize the day as the mantra. All we have is right now in this present time, the only thing we can control."
Quarterback is one of the areas where a strong and experienced player returns. Tyrell Grant helped to lead Nansemond River to its second straight 9-3 campaign in 2024 and now hopes to end his high school career on a high note. Ricks likes what he sees from the Syracuse commit.
"He's a field general," Ricks noted. "He's a dynamic young man and that just says a lot about his character and his upbringing, but he loses that when he steps out on the field. He becomes somebody else and that's what we thrive on."
Many expect the Warriors themselves to thrive. They're a popular pick to make a deep postseason run, but the team is blocking out the noise outside the circle.
"Our mindset is knowing what we have here," the head coach pointed out. "Our family, the circle that we have between coaches and players and we're trying not to worry about what anybody else has to say. We just have to do what we need to do to take care of ourselves."
"None of that means anything," McGowan added. "We've just got to show them how it's done on the field. That's all just opinions. We've just to got to show them."
Not since 2017 has the program advanced past the regional playoffs and into the state semifinals. Now the Warriors hope that embracing that motto of seizing each day will lead to adding some December days come postseason time.
"States, winning, coming together, getting that ring," McGowan said of what he's hoping for this season.
"We're looking forward to making sure that we stay a little longer," Ricks said. "November to December, prayerfully, and make sure we tighten up on some things week in and week out to make our season a success."
Nansemond River kicks off the season at home on September 5 against Menchville.
