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After thirty years in the AHS football program, the last 19 as head coach, Dick Adams has resigned from the position.

“It may be hard for people to understand because they think I’m this guy with all kinds of energy, but I’m just out of gas,” Adams said. “For 30 years my focus has been Annandale high school. My family has always been second but now I’m going to devote more time to them.”

Adams was only the fourth football head coach in AHS history and was very successful in his tenure. He had a winning percentage of .614 and an overall record of 132-83. In 1993 and 1994, Adams led the Atoms to two state championships and during his time, he captured three regional championships and seven district titles. He also established a school record 26-game win streak while leading the football program.

“Coach Adams has put in a lot of time and commitment to Annandale High School and helped structure this school,” said assisstant football coach Keith Sholders. “He takes a lot of pride in the way the school is run and it will be a big job for someone new to come in and keep up the expectations.”

Adams’ replacement is sure to have his work cut out for him, as players and coaches alike recognized the importance of Adams in thier playing as well as their personal lives.

“The best part of playing for Coach Adams was knowing he will push you all the time and bring the best out of you,” said senior Evan Griffin. “As a person, he was always there and was able to put me on the right path.”

“He was able to motivate us about winning games and practicing hard and taught us how to handle adversity and keep us involved,” said senior Alhaji Bah.

Although there is no clear coach in line to take the job, there are certain things that many people involved in the football program hope he will continue.

“I hope that the next coach at Annandale High School is someone that is willing to put in the time and effort to continue the tradition of Annandale High School, from the school’s simple colors of red and white to the expectations of the players as students to the work ethic of the kids; this is what makes Annandale unique,” said Adams.

“[Coach Adams] can’t be replaced but we’ll still carry on the tradition and still have a high standard of winning and working hard all the time,” said junior Yari Mizouri. “I believe the new coach must be able to work hard for us as we will be working hard for him.”

Despite his resignation, Adams will continue to serve as the school’s assisstant director of student activities and will continue to be involved in AHS athletics.

“I’m still going to keep the fields looking good and be a resource for whoever takes over,” said Adams. “I will do nothing but help the next coach.”