By WALT MOODY The Winchester Star Jun 23, 2020
It wasn’t that long ago that former Millbrook basketball standout Zach Harrell was going through the same challenges that current high school players face.
Harrell, 23, now will try to lead the players of a former rival in conquering those trials. Harrell has been named Handley’s new head boys’ basketball coach, replacing Jason Toton who resigned in May to accept a teaching position at Woodgrove High School.
Harrell, who was on Toton’s staff last season, believes his relative young age can be an advantage as a head coach.
“I think that the beauty of my age in going to this position is that I am very in touch with everything the kids are going through right now,” Harrell said via telephone on Tuesday. “It was just six years ago that I was doing everything in my power trying to play college basketball. I was doing everything in my power to prepare for the SATs and put myself in position to go to college. I was doing everything in my power to be a first generation college student for my family. Everything that the kids are going through, I’m very in touch with the challenges they face and how to help them overcome them.”
Harrell was The Winchester Star, Northwestern District and Conference 21 Player of the Year in 2015, averaging 15.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. He was also named first team All-4A North Region and Group 4A second team All-State. He went on to play at Roanoke College for a season before a knee injury midway through his sophomore year cut short his career.
That injury actually led the start of his coaching career. Coach Clay Nunley asked Harrell to be an assistant at Roanoke College. A year later, he served as an assistant to Kevin Garst, who has built a standout program at Salem High School.
After graduating with a double major in three years, Harrell returned to Winchester to start his career with the U.S. Department of Justice. After serving as the head JV coach at James Wood for a year, Harrell joined Toton’s staff last season as the Judges (12-12) finished second during the regular season in the Class 4 Northwestern District.
Toton, who followed 27-year Handley legend Tommy Dixon as head coach, also set a high standard for the program, taking the Judges to the state finals in 2014 and 2018. Toton amassed a 126-50 mark in seven seasons.
“Any challenge, any standard, any expectations, I look at it as an opportunity for me to invest and to grow and for me to rise to the occasion,” Harrell said. “I’m really excited to work with our guys.”
Having been a part of the program last season certainly helps. The Judges were rebuilding after graduating four starters.
Harrell expects as many as nine seniors back for his first season, including reigning Winchester Star Player of the Year Demitri Gardner, who averaged 22.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
“One of the things I’m working on right now is individual development plans, so they know the things they’ve done well and the things they can do to get better, so that when the season rolls around we’re amped up and ready to go,” he said. “… I think it will be great for them, too, to see a familiar face and know they’ve got a coach that cares about them on the court, off the court and every way of life.”
Harrell expects to marry some of the things that Toton used with some of the things he learned under Page Moir and Nunley at Roanoke College.
“There’s a lot of things that Coach Toton did that’s still going to be present in everything we do, just like there were a lot of things that Coach Dixon did that’s going to be present in everything that we do,” he said. “… There’s a small group of coaches that has this collective understanding that this is the foundation and tradition that we’ve set forth and that we’re going to preserve it every way we can and try to build new ground as we go.”
Harrell expects he Judges to play at breakneck speed.
“When I was in my freshman year at Roanoke College, [Moir] developed this system where you pick up fullcourt and you’re going to try to make the other team play at your pace the entire game. You’re No. 1 offense is that you’re going to try to be in transition.
“The way that the game is moving — you’ve got the shot clock era and maybe one day it will be at high school — you have to learn how to play fast before you can slow the game down. If you’re a team that only plays slow, you’re going to struggle speeding the game up. You can always slow the game down, but you’ve got to know how to play it fast first. … We’re going to have a lot of different pressing variations. We’re going to try to play uptempo and try to set the tone. We want our opponents to play Handley style of basketball and not there style of basketball.”
Harrell also wants to bring in Moir’s offensive philosophies, which netted the son of Virginia Tech great Charlie Moir 428 wins in 27 seasons at Roanoke College.
“Coming from a college system that averaged 107 points a game, I’ve got some knowledge that will pave some new ground for some offensive philosophies that will help us put the ball in the basket more and pick up on defense right away,” said Harrell.
Harrell still hears from Moir regularly. “Coach Moir still texts me about twice a week, asking about how I am and how my father is doing,” he said. “I couldn’t wait to give him the news. It was Coach Moir who really showed me what coaching is all about and that’s developing relationships with your kids. How strong those relationships are is going to determine how far those kids are able to go and how much they are able to accomplish with the goals they set for themselves.”
Handley director of student activities Reed Prosser said Harrell fits in with the school’s long tradition.
“Coach Harrell’s knowledge of the game and his passion and energy he brings to serve kids and the school system is impressive,” Prosser said in a news release. “His vision of the entire program and how basketball impacts our community is important. He is part of the Handley program. He knows our players, our school and Winchester. Most importantly though, he understands how athletics impact students’ lives.”
While he graduated a few miles down the road, Harrell said he is well aware of Handley’s tradition.
“Being born and raised in Winchester, I know the feeling of being a part of Handley is just unlike any other — the sense of pride, the sense of investment in the community,” Harrell said. “Everyone who has walked across the stage and graduated from there it still means so much to them. I’m the type of person that I take pride and I’m all-in in everything that I do. If I’m going to do something, I’m all-in with it. It’s the way everyone associated with Handley is about Handley athletics and school. It feels great knowing how much people care about the job you’re doing because I care so much about it as well.”
And Harrell, who also serves as head of skill development for the Catoctin Basketball Club in Purcellville, hopes to show his athletes how successful they can be.
“I know how to take what Winchester gives you and make the best of it,” Harrell said. “I’ve been a leader and I plan to create as many leaders as I possibly can.”
— Contact Walt Moody at
wmoody@winchesterstar.com
Follow on Twitter @WinStarSports1
It wasn’t that long ago that former Millbrook basketball standout Zach Harrell was going through the same challenges that current high school players face.
Harrell, 23, now will try to lead the players of a former rival in conquering those trials. Harrell has been named Handley’s new head boys’ basketball coach, replacing Jason Toton who resigned in May to accept a teaching position at Woodgrove High School.
Harrell, who was on Toton’s staff last season, believes his relative young age can be an advantage as a head coach.
“I think that the beauty of my age in going to this position is that I am very in touch with everything the kids are going through right now,” Harrell said via telephone on Tuesday. “It was just six years ago that I was doing everything in my power trying to play college basketball. I was doing everything in my power to prepare for the SATs and put myself in position to go to college. I was doing everything in my power to be a first generation college student for my family. Everything that the kids are going through, I’m very in touch with the challenges they face and how to help them overcome them.”
Harrell was The Winchester Star, Northwestern District and Conference 21 Player of the Year in 2015, averaging 15.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. He was also named first team All-4A North Region and Group 4A second team All-State. He went on to play at Roanoke College for a season before a knee injury midway through his sophomore year cut short his career.
That injury actually led the start of his coaching career. Coach Clay Nunley asked Harrell to be an assistant at Roanoke College. A year later, he served as an assistant to Kevin Garst, who has built a standout program at Salem High School.
After graduating with a double major in three years, Harrell returned to Winchester to start his career with the U.S. Department of Justice. After serving as the head JV coach at James Wood for a year, Harrell joined Toton’s staff last season as the Judges (12-12) finished second during the regular season in the Class 4 Northwestern District.
Toton, who followed 27-year Handley legend Tommy Dixon as head coach, also set a high standard for the program, taking the Judges to the state finals in 2014 and 2018. Toton amassed a 126-50 mark in seven seasons.
“Any challenge, any standard, any expectations, I look at it as an opportunity for me to invest and to grow and for me to rise to the occasion,” Harrell said. “I’m really excited to work with our guys.”
Having been a part of the program last season certainly helps. The Judges were rebuilding after graduating four starters.
Harrell expects as many as nine seniors back for his first season, including reigning Winchester Star Player of the Year Demitri Gardner, who averaged 22.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
“One of the things I’m working on right now is individual development plans, so they know the things they’ve done well and the things they can do to get better, so that when the season rolls around we’re amped up and ready to go,” he said. “… I think it will be great for them, too, to see a familiar face and know they’ve got a coach that cares about them on the court, off the court and every way of life.”
Harrell expects to marry some of the things that Toton used with some of the things he learned under Page Moir and Nunley at Roanoke College.
“There’s a lot of things that Coach Toton did that’s still going to be present in everything we do, just like there were a lot of things that Coach Dixon did that’s going to be present in everything that we do,” he said. “… There’s a small group of coaches that has this collective understanding that this is the foundation and tradition that we’ve set forth and that we’re going to preserve it every way we can and try to build new ground as we go.”
Harrell expects he Judges to play at breakneck speed.
“When I was in my freshman year at Roanoke College, [Moir] developed this system where you pick up fullcourt and you’re going to try to make the other team play at your pace the entire game. You’re No. 1 offense is that you’re going to try to be in transition.
“The way that the game is moving — you’ve got the shot clock era and maybe one day it will be at high school — you have to learn how to play fast before you can slow the game down. If you’re a team that only plays slow, you’re going to struggle speeding the game up. You can always slow the game down, but you’ve got to know how to play it fast first. … We’re going to have a lot of different pressing variations. We’re going to try to play uptempo and try to set the tone. We want our opponents to play Handley style of basketball and not there style of basketball.”
Harrell also wants to bring in Moir’s offensive philosophies, which netted the son of Virginia Tech great Charlie Moir 428 wins in 27 seasons at Roanoke College.
“Coming from a college system that averaged 107 points a game, I’ve got some knowledge that will pave some new ground for some offensive philosophies that will help us put the ball in the basket more and pick up on defense right away,” said Harrell.
Harrell still hears from Moir regularly. “Coach Moir still texts me about twice a week, asking about how I am and how my father is doing,” he said. “I couldn’t wait to give him the news. It was Coach Moir who really showed me what coaching is all about and that’s developing relationships with your kids. How strong those relationships are is going to determine how far those kids are able to go and how much they are able to accomplish with the goals they set for themselves.”
Handley director of student activities Reed Prosser said Harrell fits in with the school’s long tradition.
“Coach Harrell’s knowledge of the game and his passion and energy he brings to serve kids and the school system is impressive,” Prosser said in a news release. “His vision of the entire program and how basketball impacts our community is important. He is part of the Handley program. He knows our players, our school and Winchester. Most importantly though, he understands how athletics impact students’ lives.”
While he graduated a few miles down the road, Harrell said he is well aware of Handley’s tradition.
“Being born and raised in Winchester, I know the feeling of being a part of Handley is just unlike any other — the sense of pride, the sense of investment in the community,” Harrell said. “Everyone who has walked across the stage and graduated from there it still means so much to them. I’m the type of person that I take pride and I’m all-in in everything that I do. If I’m going to do something, I’m all-in with it. It’s the way everyone associated with Handley is about Handley athletics and school. It feels great knowing how much people care about the job you’re doing because I care so much about it as well.”
And Harrell, who also serves as head of skill development for the Catoctin Basketball Club in Purcellville, hopes to show his athletes how successful they can be.
“I know how to take what Winchester gives you and make the best of it,” Harrell said. “I’ve been a leader and I plan to create as many leaders as I possibly can.”
— Contact Walt Moody at
wmoody@winchesterstar.com
Follow on Twitter @WinStarSports1
