After six years as head coach and 10 as assistant, varsity football coach Seth Kenton will be stepping down from his position with the RHS football program to free up more time for himself.

Kenton took the head coaching position six years ago when Kevin Bernot left the program and has had two winning seasons and four losing seasons since 2012. During his coaching tenure, the team made the first round of the playoffs, once in 2016. While this most recent season did not produce any victories, Kenton’s sixteen seasons have provided important lessons on handling wins and losses.

“Coaching itself is rewarding so you can’t get too excited about wins or too down on losses,” he said.
Senior left guard Kevin Rogers has played for Kenton for the past two years and served as one of this year’s captains.

“He was a good guy and a good coach, it will be interesting how the team develops without him there,” Rogers said.

Not only is the team losing an integral part of the coaching staff, but they are also losing six seniors, leaving the team with 16 players. Out of the seniors, four were offensive and defensive linemen and two were receivers and defensive backs. Four of them were starters throughout the season.

The loss of the head coach surprised all members of the team. The team will have to adjust to the new atmosphere of a new head coach, whose position is currently available and is expected to be filled by Jan. 1.

This varsity season was junior running back Antonio Villatoro’s second under Kenton. Villatoro led the team with 354 rushing yards as the team’s lead back, doubling his total from last year at 151 yards rushing.

“I was surprised when he resigned, we were just talking about how the season was going to be next year and how we can make the practice and offseason workouts beneficial,” Villatoro said.
After 16 years of coaching, Kenton said he is looking forward to catching up on some time for himself, including some much needed rest, as well as a possible return to coaching sometime in the spring. Kenton use to coach track several years ago.

“I’m just tired, it’s been six years as head coach and … sixteen years total of coaching. I just need time,” Kenton said. “Right now I’m looking forward to going home and taking a nap after school. Probably spring will come around, and I’ll get anxious and start coaching something again, maybe track, maybe football.”