High school notes: Taylor returns to Meadowbrook as football coach

Monarchs' torch passed to Taylor

After seven years as a high school assistant football coach at L.C. Bird (one year) and Meadowbrook, Troy Taylor was antsy to be a head coach.

Taylor left Group AAA, Division 6 Meadowbrook for Group A, Division 1 Amelia County last season. The Raiders featured one of the area's top running backs, Tyrell Banks, and finished 5-5.

Little did Taylor know it would be his only year at Amelia. His boss at Meadowbrook, Bill Bowles, retired, and Taylor, 30, is back at Meadowbrook as the head coach.

"I thought Coach Bowles would stay through [Desmond] Coble," Taylor said. "I'll try to continue what Coach Bowles has done and try to keep the tradition going. I'm familiar with the kids and the coaches."

While Taylor was an assistant at Meadowbrook - "I live 10 minutes from there" - the Monarchs won the Group AAA, Division 5 state title and played for two Central Region, Division 6 championships.

Llewellyn selected James River AD

Tim Llewellyn is exchanging the green and gold colors of Clover Hill for the green and purple of another Dominion District school.

Llewellyn, 42, is the new activities director at James River. He replaces Doug Bachman, who has moved to Cosby as an assistant principal.

"I've been trying a long time," Llewellyn said of his search for an administrative post. "I'm glad to stay in Chesterfield [County]."

Llewellyn, easy to spot at events because of his 6-7 height, is a Clover Hill and Bridgewater College graduate. He was basketball standout at both and has spent the past 16 years at Clover Hill as a coach (basketball and golf), teacher and assistant AD. The transition to James River should be smooth.

"I've been in a unique position where I've been given a lot of responsibilities most assistants don't get," Llewellyn said of his administrative work. "James River has a lot of good people, good coaches and it's a good community. I'm excited."

Short takes

• Llewellyn took over the Clover Hill golf team when Jim Alberston retired. The ageless Alberston returns to Clover Hill as the golf coach next month. That's his newest retirement coaching position. Alberston coaches boys tennis at Cosby and will be helping Mike Stefanko with Cosby's wrestling program. Alberston coached wrestling while at Clover Hill.

• The athletic teams at Glen Allen High, Henrico County's newest high school that opens in the fall of 2010, will be known as the Jaguars. Activities Director Chris Robinson will be purchasing uniforms that feature teal and black as the primary colors. Robinson, who spent six years as Varina's AD, can still call his boss, "Tracie." Varina's principal is Tracie Omohundro. Glen Allen's principal is former Mills Godwin girls volleyball coach Tracie Weston.

  Vacancies filled

• Earl Kinney is back in the saddle as a head basketball coach. He steps into the void left at Hermitage by the resignation of Joe Coulter. Kinney was Patrick Henry's head coach for 7½ years and guided Thomas Jefferson for a year before moving to Hermitage eight years ago. He has been a Panthers assistant coach in football and basketball.

Steve Crocker's replacement as wrestling coach at Mills Godwin is Chris Harris. Crocker coached the Eagles for 15 years. - Arthur Utley