Damien Wimes has had better weekends. The second-year head coach at Southwest DeKalb is a former assistant coach at Starr’s Mill in Fayette County. Wimes had been to watch the Panthers play Whitewater and was driving home through Clayton County when his car was T-boned and rolled over several times. When I spoke with the coach he was thankful but still sore. "I can imagine what boxers go through," says Wimes.
The auto accident shook Wimes up for sure, but all he has to do is think of his Panthers’ 6-0 start to the 2018 season and a smile will begin to appear. It's how they got to 6-0 that you might find amazing.
"It's a testament of faith," says Wimes. "I believed that good things could happen if the kids believed in each other. One of the most important things we did was make some changes on the coaching staff. We have become really active in FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), and (former Avondale High School and Washington Redskins star) Danny Buggs visits us on Wednesdays. I just thought it would be good to have good men around them, good examples."
Even new coaches couldn't prevent a trying off-season. There was a loss to MLK in the spring game, then Wimes lost the starting quarterback when his mother suddenly moved to New Orleans, and another starter transferred away. It wasn't until July that Wimes landed a new starting quarterback in Rion White, a 10th grader who had spent most of the summer playing AAU basketball. "We put some good people around him," remembers Wimes. "We reminded him that it was not up to him to win the game, and to protect the ball."