Veterans' Bruce out as football coach and AD after eight seasons

          David Bruce kept hoping for a streak.

          A streak mostly of health, of being able to play the same collection of players week in and week out.

          That's what happened in 2013, the fourth season of football at Veterans. The Warhawks went 8-4, winning a region title as a young program.

          But such fortune didn't smile much otherwise on Veterans, and the Warhawks struggled to win, making the playoffs the next three seasons despite not cracking a .500 record.

          And it got worse in 2017, the Warhawks failing to win region game and sitting home for the playoffs for the first time since 2012.

          Bruce met with principal Chris Brown Monday morning, and left the meeting out of a job, equal parts surprised and not necessarily floored.

          "I thought it could happen," Bruce admitted about his feeling when he walked into the meeting. "But I have to admit I was a little shocked."

          Bruce paused.

          "But we didn't win. We only won two games."

          Bruce departs with a record of 31-54 in eight seasons.

          Three other GHSA programs debuted in 2010, according to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association website.

          Class A St. Francis is 28-37-1 (43.2 percent), Class A Christian Heritage is 27-37 (42.2 percent) and Class A Baconton Charter is 15-61 (19.7 percent).

          Of the 37 GHSA programs started from 2005 to 2009, only Prince Avenue Christian, Marion County, Hillgrove, Creekveiw, Holy Innocents, West Forsyth, Allatoona, Mt. Paran Chiristian, Pace Academy, North Paulding, Archer, Hughes, Lambert and Locust Grove have winning records.

          The 56-year-old, who is three years short of a full 30 years vested in the Georgia education system, said Tuesday night he had taken about 30 calls from coaches and colleagues despite the news not being out.

          His plan is to coach again, but he doesn't know where.

          The Warhawks finished 2-8 overall in 2017, 0-4 in Region 2-5A, which includes two teams in the top 10, Warner Robins and Bainbridge, who play on Friday at McConnell-Talbert Stadium for the region title.

          Only two losses were thumpings, and came after the Warhawks gave up three fourth-quarter touchdowns to lose to Thomas County Central 34-14.

They lost 35-7 to Harris County and 56-17 to Warner Robins. Their other six losses were by 18, 5, 14, 9 and 14.

          The eight teams that beat Veterans are a combined 41-31.

          Injuries hit Veterans more this year than in nearly every other year under Bruce, losing eight regulars at some point for the season.

          Standout athlete Jeremy Horton missed two games with a high ankle sprain, but wasn't close to 100 percent upon his return.

          "This year was the most frustrating I've ever had, without a doubt, with injuries and playing young kids," Bruce said. "Against Warner Robins, we started six sophomores and two freshmen. Dang."

          Two years ago, standout receiver Rochelle Dinkins was lost for the year in the season opener, and returned to have an all-region senior season.

          Rashaad Bolton was getting some attention from power-5 programs until he broke his leg in the 2014 season-opener, but he still signed with Army.

          Teammate Corey Solomon also suffered a season-ending injury and ended up signing with LaGrange. And there were other injuries that the young program struggled to overcome.

          In between his first and final seasons, Bruce went 27-38. The program also went from Class 3A for two years to 4A for four years to 5A for the past two.

          That led to some scheduling issues, and the Warhawks had two years - their first two in Class 4A - of brutal non-region scheduling with Houston County, Macon County, Washington County and Valdosta. The previous two years, they played Warner Robins, Northside and Harris County, all higher-classification schools.

          Bruce was hired as the first head coach at Veterans after five seasons as defensive coordinator at Warner Robins under then-head coach Bryan Way. That followed a stint in the same position at Westside under former Warner Robins head coach Robert Davis.

          In those two jobs, Bruce was part of Warner Robins' 2004 state title and 2006 semifinalist teams, and one quarterfinal and two semifinal teams with Westside.

          He rejoined Davis after a year as head coach at Nease High in St. Augustine, Florida. He was the Demons' defensive line coach from 1991-95, helping Warner Robins to region titles every season and threeo trips to the semifinals.

          The Kendrick graduate played at West Georgia after serving in the Marine Corps for five years. His first coaching job came at Kathleen High in Lakeland, Florida.

          Veterans is located in the most prosperous residential part of Houston County, and that translated into success and a statewide reputation in baseball, girls basketball, softball, boys and girls soccer and volleyball.

          But not in football, nor boys basketball.

          Still, Bruce's term as athletics director was a highly successful one from the start.

          Last year, the overall athletics program finished seventh in Class 5A in the Georgia Athletic Directors Association standings.

          Veterans was ninth, eighth, fourth and sixth the previous four years in Class 4A, and eighth in 2011-12 after finishing 29th in its first year of athletics.

          "I tried to do a good job," Bruce said.

          Bruce, whose son Daniel was on the football staff, hoped to pull the football program up to that level, and the Warhawks return about 14 starters, a little more than average.

          Now, the father of three will just await the next chapter.

          "I go to work every day," he said. "I work hard, I work long hours, do everything that needs to be done. Try to do it right."