Dynamic 'Dogs, Part II: Support, both internal and external, makes Portageville 'different'

This is the second in a series of stories on the athletic success being earned by Portageville High School in recent seasons.

PORTAGEVILLE – Early in his tenure as the Portageville High School football coach, Ian Penrod noticed that the school “sort of had some fragmented kids,” which if you’re coaching at Jackson High School, and have over 1,300 students, perhaps that is fine. But if you are at Portageville, every coach, in every sport, needs the best of the 173 potential student-athletes that walk the halls of the school.

“Some of the kids wanted to specialize here and there,” Penrod recalled, “I told (baseball coach Tyler Trover and then-basketball coach Jason Irby) that if we keep open lines of communication, then I am always going to push my guys to play every sport, because (not doing so) doesn’t do anything to benefit me.

“That is how we have gotten that open dialogue and it has worked really well.”

The support that the Portageville coaches and athletes receive externally means a great deal to each of them. Every person enjoys positive backing in their work. However, a massive reason for the success of Bulldog athletics – and there has been an abundance of that in recent years – has been the internal support of the existing coaches all having each other’s back.

“It makes my job (as athletic director) a lot easier,” Trover said of the camaraderie among the six high school coaches. “They work well together. We haven’t had any situations where you have to go in and try to fix a problem.

“Number one, they are adults, and they fix problems on their own. Number two, they all really support each other’s programs and really support their success.”

Open doors

Penrod explained that “one or two times per week,” Bulldog girl’s basketball coach Kellye Fowler will come to him, as the supervisor of the Portageville High School weightlifting classes and talk about her individual player’s needs in the weight room.

“She will give me an update on any kids who are banged up or are having issues with their knees or have had an ankle injury,” Penrod said. “I’ll check them out and see what they can do and maybe modify or diversify (stations) as we go through that week so that we can make sure they are ready for games.”

That sharing of insight and working together spreads throughout the building and throughout the year.

Before he began to singularly focus on coaching the highly successful Portageville baseball program, Trover also had success as a basketball coach at Bloomfield High School. He’ll have conversations with Portageville hoop coaches T.J. Smith and Fowler, each of whom grew up together in Portageville, and share information, as well.

Smith also assists with the football and baseball programs, not to mention, he played against Penrod and Trover in high school.

“We’ve all got a bond,” Smith said. “We just work really well together.”

The same goes for the female athletes.

First-year softball coach Kelsey Snider, Fowler, and fourth-year Bulldog volleyball coach Sasha Kellams all coordinate their off-season training around each other’s schedules, so to maximize the instruction and training that the Portageville athletes receive.

“Everybody (at Portageville) is so tightly knit,” Snider said. “They seem to mesh well together.”

An attractive option

The three imported coaches (Trover, Snider, and Penrod) could see the potential within the Portageville sports scene from afar.

Penrod spent time coaching at his alma mater (East Prairie), while Trover came over from Bloomfield, and Snider has bounced between Three Rivers, her alma mater, Malden, and most recently Clarkton.

“I wanted to come here,” Snider said, “because I saw all of the potential that they had. (Our softball players) are so athletic. This is one of the most athletically enhanced group of girls that I have ever coached in my life.

“They’ve got so much talent.”

Trover knew everything he needed to know about Portageville and its history of success before he took over the baseball program six years ago. However, what he has learned since immersing himself in the school and the community, is that Portageville is a “special place.”

“It’s not just the past success,” Trover said of what makes Portageville unique. “It’s a culmination of the community support, which is incredible. Once I got here, it opened my eyes, especially after the first couple of years. I thought ‘Man, this is different. This place is where I love.’”

Coming Saturday: The Bulldog coaches bring youth, energy, and success to their programs.