COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Colobro enjoys new job at E&H

EMORY, Va. – It was familiar scene for Nick Colobro. The veteran coach was greeted by handshakes and backslaps after helping direct his team to another victory.

From Legion Field in Gate City to Fred Selfe Stadium at Emory & Henry College, Colobro knows winning.

From 1983 through 2008, Colobro led the Gate City Blue Devils to a record of 235-78-1 with two state titles. That run earned Colobro a spot into the Virginia High School Coaches Association Hall of
Fame. For the past year, Colobro has coached the running backs and tight ends at Emory & Henry.

“I knew that I wanted to something in athletics after I left Gate City, but I wasn’t sure what that was going to be,” Colobro said. “It’s a lot of fun being around the folks here at Emory.”

Colobro is a 1973 graduate of Virginia Tech where he played tight end for the Hokies. He served as a graduate assistant coach at Tech before advancing through the prep coaching ranks at Tazewell,
Patrick Henry (Roanoke) and Gate City.

“I’ve been lucky to play for and work with some really good coaches at the college and high school level,” said Colobro, whose father Tony was a longtime football prep and college coach. “Football teaches so many great life lessons.”

The demands of college and prep football coaching are radically different, but there are some constants for Colobro. For example, two former Gate City standouts start on the E&H offense. Josh Castle is a senior receiver, while 6-foot-4 Corey Sheperd is a senior tight end.

“Those guys did an awful good job for us at Gate City, and it’s been fun to watch them continue to make progress in college,” Colobro said. “[Emory & Henry] is a school that has always had a lot of
Southwest Virginia kids playing for it, and hopefully that will continue.”

The other E&H starters from Southwest Virginia include sophomore strong safety Daniel Woods (Virginia High), freshman cornerback Anthony Jones (Virginia High), sophomore middle linebacker Shane
Wicks (Richlands) and junior running back Caleb Jennings from Richlands.

E&H head coach Don Montgomery welcomed the expertise and camaraderie of Colobro.

“We’re fortunate to have a person like Nick who brings experience and history to our younger coaches,” Montgomery said. “Nick has been really good for me because I have someone I can talk to about the things that all coaches deal with. “Nick will come up to me at times and tell me to loosen up.”

The next task for Colobro will involve road trips.

“I have to get on the recruiting trail here in a couple weeks,” Colobro said. “I haven’t done that since the early 1970s when I was a graduate assistant at Virginia Tech, so this will be a new experience for me.
“I grew up in a family where football was important. I love Gate City and always will, but this opportunity at Emory has been a good change.”

The Wasps (6-3, 2-3) travel to Guilford today for the season finale. Guilford (3-6, 2-3) forced nine turnovers en route to a 42-21 win at Catholic last week. Jordan Nelson of GC earned ODAC defensive
player of the week honors after intercepting a school-record four passes.

The Quakers feature senior linebacker Richie Paul (122 tackles) and 6-foot-3 junior quarterback Billy Watkins, who passed for 378 yards and two scores Oct. 31 in a 20-13 win over Randolph-Macon. Watkins has thrown for 1,573 yards.

GC, picked for fifth in the ODAC preseason poll, has lost 15 players due to season-ending injuries and allows 22 points per game. The Quakers began playing on a new Field Turf artificial surface this season.

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