MARC PRUITT Staff Reporter
The high school football season never stops for coaches and players.
Sure, there's the spectacle that takes place on Friday nights from August until that final second ticks off the clock sometime in early December.
But there are also practices, offseason conditioning workouts, 7-on-7 games during the summer months, breaking down film, meetings with staff and position groups, painting and lining the fields, organizing equipment, and keeping a close eye on academic requirements and eligibility.
It's not just about Friday night.
It's a calling.
The wives and families of high school football coaches also join these rigors of the season and together share a unique bond.
They feel the sting of a disappointing loss and the high of a major triumph. They understand the late nights and the early mornings and the time commitment.
They make sacrifices. They experience the rush too.
It's a lifestyle.
Here are a few wives of area coaches and their stories.
Nicolette and Tiesuan Brown, Mount Tabor
Nicolette and Tiesuan Brown are high school sweethearts. They met in the halls at Mount Tabor and will celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary on Oct. 5.
Tiesuan graduated from Mount Tabor in 1999, Nicolette in 2000.
He played football and wrestled for the Spartans before beginning his coaching career as an assistant coach at Mount Tabor in 2005. He was named the team's head coach in 2007.
The Browns are Spartans through and through.
Their daughter, Amorie, graduated in 2023 and is currently in film school at UNC School of the Arts. Their son, Kingston, is a sophomore this year and the starting varsity quarterback for the Spartans.
"Kingston knows that at practice, he is Coach Brown, and when we are at home, he's dad," Nicolette Brown said. "They've always been close. If there has been a change, it's maybe become more intense now. Tiesuan feels a lot of pressure because he doesn't want Kingston to get hurt."
Nicolette said that football is a way of life at their house.
"It's God first, then it's football," she said. "Football helps keep our family strong. It's a gift. Tiesuan's a head coach, his brothers are head coaches, and Kingston just has a natural ability. It helps keep us together."
One of Nicolette's most cherished memories was watching her husband guide Mount Tabor to the NCHSAA 3-AA state championship in the spring season of 2021.
"Nobody knew what was going to happen that year because of Covid," she said. "He was worried they wouldn't be able to play at all. I told him that God has a plan and everything happens for a reason. That team became closer during that time and were a well-oiled machine.
When they won, it was almost surreal but also so magical."
Nicolete has long admired her husband's drive.
"Even before he was a head coach, he was cutting the grass, he was doing the laundry, he was driving the bus, he was always staying late and doing whatever he needed to do to help those kids," Nicolette said. "He's always worked so hard and dedicated so much time to his players and the team. It's hard for him to try and turn that off. He's getting there as far as taking time away. The older he gets and the longer he does it, he appreciates the time he can shut it down. He's trying to do that more, but it's just hard for these guys.
"I do have to remind him sometimes that it's more for his sanity. It's very stressful to be a head coach. He loves his team. He loves his boys, and he would do anything for them. So, it's more of him being able to take a step back so he can live to fight another day."
Rebecca and Joe Davidyock, Reynolds
Of course, Rebecca and Joe Davidyock met after a football game.
Joe was an assistant coach at Southeast Guilford and Rebecca was a school counselor and cheer coach at Ragsdale when they met through mutual friends.
"We both had crazy schedules at that time," Rebecca said. "I was a school counselor, he was a college student and working full time and coaching football. Our schedules just kind of matched. It didn't matter that we didn't see each other until 9 o'clock most of the time. It became fun, especially once football season was over and I was still doing cheer with basketball and he would come and support the cheerleaders during basketball season."
Joe is entering his third season as the coach at Reynolds. Rebecca is the graduation coach at Reynolds and is in her first year as the varsity cheerleading coach.
They have been married now for three years and have a son, J.J., who was 11 days old when Joe won his coaching debut with the Demons on opening night during the 2023 season.
"J.J. has basically grown up on the football field," Rebecca said. "Anytime we pull up to the stadium now, he says, 'Dada, football.' He knows exactly where he is, and he loves coming out here."
Rebecca could see the drive and passion for coaching in her husband from their first encounter.
"I know he loves what he does," she said. "We both love it. This is his element. You can clearly see his passion and love for the game and these kids. I wasn't there when he began his coaching career, but I've been there through a lot of the nitty-gritty. To see it all come together and get a win out of it in his first game as a head coach, I had tears in my eyes the whole time."
The Davidyocks have a 24-hour rule in the house once Joe comes home on Friday night and takes some time to decompress.
"Saturday is family day. There is no football talk during the day," she said with a laugh. "We spend it together and do something fun. We'll revisit football on Sunday. I do let him watch film on Saturday night after our family day is over."
Reynolds will make history when it opens its season Friday night against North Forsyth in its brand new home, Crater Field & Stadium.
"To see the success he has had since he got here, it's a hard feeling to describe," Rebecca said. "And now with this new stadium, if we can top it off with a win on opening night, that would be awesome."
Karlee Honeycutt and Tripp Honeycutt, Walkertown (and East Forsyth)
Karlee Honeycutt teaches and coaches softball at East Forsyth, her alma mater. Her husband, Tripp, is entering his second year as the football coach at Walkertown.
As you may imagine, this lends itself to some chaotic fun.
"In the fall, it's 'Go Wolfpack.' And in the spring, it's 'Go Eagles,'" Karlee said with a laugh. "It's a weird dynamic, for sure."
The Honeycutts have also both been caught by students wearing gear from each other's schools.
"The students are like, 'What are you doing?'" she said. "I explain to them that I'm just supporting my husband. But it is harder because I went to East."
The dynamic of mutual respect is obvious between the two, who both know firsthand the sacrifices that need to be made as a coach.
"Because I'm a coach, I understand the commitment it takes and the commitment he makes," she said. "I'm the same way. Which is another reason why this works.
"I went to see some of my alumni play in a college game last year at Catawba, and after it was over, I went to scout Davie County and West Forsyth," Karlee said. "I called him to make sure it was OK for me to go, and he said, 'You have to go. You play them next week.'"
The Honeycutts have been married for seven years. They have two children, Liam and Charlee.
Family is an important piece for the Honeycutts.
So is their competitive nature.
Karlee's twin sister, Kaytee, coaches softball at West Stokes and used to coach volleyball and softball at Walkertown. Her brother-in-law, Jason, took over for his wife this season.
Jason and Kaytee have two small children as well, and both families are currently living with Karlee's parents awaiting completion of their new houses that are being built.
"We have a running joke with Jason and Kaytee about all of us being named as a coach of the year before except for Jason," Karlee said with a laugh.
She and both of her sisters won teaching awards in 2024, and they hold that over Tripp.
"It's just a house full of junk-talking," Karlee said.
Karlee helps support her husband in numerous ways.
She has been known to drive the team bus, help line the fields, and help with laundry.
"We're both really competitive and talk junk to each other and make each other better," Karlee said. "I don't let him know it, but he is the better coach in the household. We both understand the coaching aspect, and after a big game, we know what to say and what space we need to give. We can talk through stuff where the other will understand because we understand coaching on and off the field and what it entails. At home, we have even more opportunity for chalk talk or gameplay conversations, and we keep each other humble.
"Yes, football takes a lot of his time. But he does a great job of being present when he's home. He's a rare breed. Seeing him be successful when he went to South Davidson, turning that program around, and now being at Walkertown, seeing the success he had last season and how excited the kids are, he's in his element."
Kristi and Kevin Wallace, West Forsyth
When your husband interviews for a head coaching job the day you leave for your honeymoon, then accepts that job while you are on your honeymoon, you know what you have signed up for.
Kristi Wallace laughs at the memory of her husband's hiring process at Northwest Guilford, his first job as a head coach. Kevin is now entering his third season as the head coach at West Forsyth.
They have been married for eight years and have two children, Kameron, who was born in 2022, and Karter, who was born in the summer of 2024.
"We met at Greensboro College when he was an assistant football coach and I was on the student development staff," Kristi said. "Our offices were in the same building, and I was friends with a lot of the coaches and got to know him through them."
The two make a great team. They enjoy running road races together and also both started work on their doctor of education degrees in kinesiology the same time.
Yes, you can call them both "Dr. Wallace."
"We were both supposed to start the program in 2017, but because we were on our honeymoon and he was getting a new job, we couldn't attend orientation, so we had to defer to 2018," Kristi said. "We were supposed to finish together in 2022. He was delayed for about a semester and I ended up being delayed by about a year. We had a child, we had job changes, so we kind of pumped the brakes on getting our dissertations. I don't think we could have added anything else to our plate at that point."
Kristi admires and appreciates the time commitment it takes to run a high school football program. She also understands the sacrifices that are made.
"I tell people all the time how much he absolutely loves what he does," Kristi said. "The amount of time he spends working on it and planning and feeding into all of these players' lives, you have to love it, and it shows."
Having two kids now has added complications to the work-life balance.
"I'm the person that makes him detach. All his friends are football coaches," she said with a laugh. "We both do our best when we are together to be present, just spending that small amount of time when we are together. His expectation was never for me to be at every game, especially now since we live farther away than when he was at Northwest. But, I know this is his art. This is what he does. This is what he strives for. He supports me with my races. We make it work, like we always have."
She also loves the support and accolades her husband receives from outside sources.
"The telling point for me is when I'm at a game and a kid comes up to me and tells me how much they love Coach Wallace, and it's not always a football player," she said.
"I've worked with several people at the city of High Point that have kids who know him or have been taught by him tell me how much they love Coach Wallace."
She added with a laugh: "I tell people all the time that it's kind of like being married to a celebrity that doesn't make much money. He's always getting called. Anytime we go somewhere, we always see a player, or a parent, or a coach he knows."
Katie and Todd Willert, East Forsyth
Football season never ends for Katie Willert.
She wouldn't have it any other way.
The Willerts have been married since 2012. They have two children, Harper, 11, and Morgan, 7.
Katie attended East Forsyth and remembers the lean years of the program before her husband was named the coach in 2003.
"We didn't win a lot of games when I went to the school there," she said with a laugh.
"And I think that seeing what he's been able to do since he got here makes it even more special. He's always grinding. I don't think he ever shuts it down. But honestly, that's also something I really respect about him. He'll never do anything halfway, and I wouldn't expect it to be any less."
The success that East Forsyth has seen under Willery's tenure is undeniable, culminating with back-to-back NCHSAA 4-A state championships in 2018 and 2019.
"I still get emotional talking about it... him winning those," Katie said, fighting back tears. "As hard as he works and as devoted as he is, that's probably what has meant the most. I just really love how much this means to him."
Katie immerses herself in every season as well and loves the tradition of having practice on Thanksgiving Day, signifying that the Eagles are making a deep run in the playoffs.
"We'll get biscuits and doughnuts for the team and have a table set up for them to enjoy after Thanksgiving Day practice, which we do first thing that morning," she said. "The players are like my kids, too."
Todd Willert takes his kids to school most mornings and helps with the family's 50-plus chickens and 17 ducks that they have been raising for the last two years.
"We can't really add to the coop during football season now because he's so busy," she said.
"After the games on Fridays, he comes home and he doesn't sleep much, whether it's good or bad. And even when I get up on Saturday morning, he's usually already up and has his laptop out and is breaking down film for next week's game. His phone is basically attached to his ear. We go to the beach every summer during one of the dead weeks and he shuts it down as much as he possibly can, but he'll never ignore someone if they need something. That's just who he is. You can see how much this means to him."
Christa and Bernard Williams, North Forsyth
Christa Williams takes a hands-on approach in everything she does.
She's one of the team moms for the North Forsyth Vikings, where her husband, Bernard, is entering his sixth season as the team's coach.
She's also the president of the North Forsyth Booster Club and runs the concession stand on Friday nights during the season, usually with the couple's four children helping out.
"The AD (athletics director Sean Vestal) and my husband were talking about needing someone to do boosters a few years ago in front of me, talking loud enough like they wanted me to volunteer, so I asked if they needed someone," Christa said with a laugh. "It's for the kids, so I volunteered to do it. A lot of people have asked me how much I get paid to do it. I have to explain to them that I clock out of my job that pays me, and l come here and clock in to volunteer.
"It's a family affair for us. When the kids are home, they are here. They have all experienced working a season in concessions. We handle football and basketball and we squeeze in soccer and track sometimes. It helps pay for equipment and maintaining facilities for all of our teams. We do it because our kids need it."
Christa and Bernard celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary in June. They met as freshmen at East Carolina University and have been together since.
Bernard, who teaches social studies, played at North Forsyth before going on to play at ECU.
"My husband is all about these kids," Christa said. "If they are hurt, if they need anything, he dedicates everything to these kids. He's burning the midnight oil during recruiting season, he's getting the word out about them to these college coaches. Football for us is seven days a week, 365 days a year. We do love the dead weeks in the summer. That's when we try to squeeze some real family time in during those. He just loves North Forsyth High School. He always has."
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