Elwood Pennington was a longtime high school football coach, so much so that his son Ƶgrew up on a Friday night bus,Ƶ he said.
But Chad Pennington didnƵt play for his father at the preps level, saying they mutually chose not to do it that way.
He is taking a different approach with his own sons. Ƶ the Marshall legend and former NFL signal-caller leads a resurgence of football at Sayre in Lexington, Kentucky, his three sons are in tow.
Luke Pennington, Chad and RobinƵs middle son, is the SpartansƵ junior quarterback. He threw for an eye-popping 50 touchdowns and zero interceptions this season, along with just over 2,500 yards.
Youngest brother Gage, a freshman QB, got into 11 games, completing one of two passes.
TheyƵre both following firstborn Cole, who racked up 1,906 yards, 20 TDs and seven picks as a senior at Sayre in 2021. He has since matriculated to Marshall and made his second start under center for the Thundering Herd on Saturday.
The Penningtons decided having the trio play for their father was the way to go, in a reversal from how Elwood and Chad handled it.
ƵTo be able to experience Friday night with my sons has been very rewarding for me,Ƶ Chad Pennington said, Ƶand also to be able to share the experiences and knowledge that IƵve gained, the places that IƵve been, has been a lot of fun, and just to watch each one of them grow and learn.Ƶ
Both fatherhood and coaching can be fraught with determining the best way to handle situations, with multiple and varying perspectives in play. The Penningtons have an approach in place to navigate that, Chad said.
ƵWe always try to keep it businesslike on the football field, and then when we go home, weƵre just father-son,Ƶ Chad Pennington said. ƵYou gotta be able to walk that fine line and make sure that, as a dad, youƵre not being overbearing, but youƵre challenging them and asking them to put forth the effort they need to put forth to be successful.Ƶ
ItƵs worked, and then some, from both an individual and team perspective.
The Penningtons have played a major role in rebirthing what is one of the commonwealthƵs upstart and high-achieving programs. The Spartans resurrected in 2018 a team dormant since the 1970s.
Just five years later, Sayre won its first 12 games and claimed its first district championship and playoff victories before being eliminated by Raceland in the third round of the Class A postseason on Friday night.
Though the Rams won 42-27 in Lexington to continue what they hope is a repeat trip to Kroger Field for the state final, Raceland coach Michael Salmons metaphorically tipped his cap before the game to his opposite number. He noted that viewing the game as a matchup between two coaches is the wrong way to go about it.
ƵObviously, his pedigree speaks for itself,Ƶ Salmons said with a chuckle, Ƶand thank goodness itƵs not a matchup between us two, because that would be a mismatch. Our kids would be at a severe disadvantage, because heƵs been on a whole lot bigger stages, and IƵm sure heƵs forgotten more than what we know.Ƶ
Indeed, Pennington has put to work the acumen accrued as a 1999 Heisman Trophy finalist, two-time NFL Comeback Player of the Year and one-time NFL career record-holder in completion percentage.
But, true to the ethos of his new gig that high school coaching is more than teaching kids to score touchdowns, Pennington believes the Spartans are growing in other ways.
ƵItƵs been really fun just to use the football to help develop young men, No. 1,Ƶ he said, Ƶand then, No. 2, use the game of football to help challenge them and really watch them try things that they never thought they could do and be a part of. So, thatƵs what we focus on.
ƵWe focus on our brotherhood and our relationships and how we can develop them as a staff, and itƵs been fun to watch all of our players grow into the team that theyƵve become.Ƶ
