Portsmouth Football Coach Has High Expectations In First Year

PORTSMOUTH, RI — It's only his first season at the helm and the team overhauled its entire coaching staff, but first year Portsmouth High School Football Coach Matt Kestler said expectations are high for this season.

"We expect to make the playoffs," Kestler said. "A state championship is not out of the question."

In order to meet these high expectations, the Patriots will have to stay competitive despite dealing with some injuries at the beginning of the season. Kestler said he'll rely on the speed, athleticism, leadership and versatility of his four senior captains.

Kestler said it starts with Quartback Kyle Bicho who, afterd finishing All-State last season, the coach believes has an even bigger year ahead. He described Bicho as a "dynamic player with superb football intelligence."

Bicho will be relied on to execute Kestler's spread offense. The coach said Bicho's strengths as both a passer and runner will be assets for the team all season.

"He makes my life easier as a coach," Kestler said.

As far as the team's dealing with injuries, Senior Captain Connor Stone will make that situation easier because of his versatility. Normally, Stone plays wide receiver and outside linebacker. Because of injuries, though, he will start the year at cornerback.

"He (Stone) has good feet for a bigger-sized kid," Kestler said, adding praise for Stone's size, speed, and willingness to play other positions.

Kestler complimented Stone's work as a slot receiver as well. The coach is excited about other wide receivers, including Captain Brian Hamilton and Danny McKinnon.

All three receivers have a great level of unspoken communication with quarterback Bicho, but Hamilton is usually his favorite target. There's also high expectations for Hamilton on the defensive side of the ball where while playing safety, he makes all the calls on the field.

The last captain is Tyler Stanton, who plays center and middle linebacker. Kestler described him as a great two-way player who excels at shotgun snaps, which can't be taken for granted at the high school level. On defense, the coach described Stanton as a force plugging gaps and stopping the run.

First-Year Challenges

Despite the high expectations, Kestler said, there are important hurdles that any first-year coach needs to overcome, especially when the entire staff is new as well.

One early challenge was with playbook and signal terminology. Kestler said he tried to carry over as much of the terminology from the previous coach as he could, but not all of it applies to the offense and defense he runs. He said he wanted to change some things because it's easier for six coaches to learn new terms than it is for dozens of high school football players.

Despite this challenge, Kestler is happy about the progress made so far.

"We are probably like 90 percent of where we need to be from Day One," Kestler said.

Another challenge is the level of play this year, as Portsmouth makes the jump to Division One this season.

Kestler described his team as undersized for Division One, but believes players can more than make up for it with speed and athleticism. This is how Kestler wants to attack the team's first opponent, North Kingstown, with its size up front.

"We will try to counteract their size with our speed," Kestler said. "They're similar to us in many ways. They are a spread offense just like us."

North Kingstown was Division Two champions last year. Still, Kestler is confident going into Friday's game. He said he's studied a lot of their returning players after facing them last year while on Middletown High School's coaching staff.

Portsmouth High School kicks off at home Friday September 7 against North Kingstown. The game starts at 7 p.m.

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