CHS grad Hayden Cantrell named Tampa Bay Coach of the Week

Coshocton High School graduate Hayden Cantrell received the honor of Tampa Bay High School Buccaneers Coach of the Week for his efforts at Alonso High School in Plant City, Florida.

Cantrell played baseball and football at Coshocton High School from 2009-13. He moved to Tampa after graduating from Kent State in 2017. He was an assistant coach in the Plant City area from 2017-20.

"We had some success there," Cantrell said. "I moved across town to Tampa for an assistant coaching position at Alonso High School. The program had been struggling for years with never more than one or two wins in a season."

Cantrell took the assistant coaching position, and in 2023 he acquired the head coach position.

"Our first two seasons we were at 7-3 for the first time in 14 years, and we have been building it since," Cantrell said. "Now I am in my fourth season here. We started off at 2-0 this season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers nominate about five coaches each week for Coach of the Week in the entire area. It's pretty much the entire state, and they go up from there.

"If you win the vote for Coach of the Week, you get four club access seats to the home opener game, the NFL game against the Jets. You get $2,000 for the booster club program at Alonso High School, and if you win, you are entered for Coach of the Year. If you win, you get $10,000 for the program."

His team's goals this year are to be in the playoffs and make a run at the big games at the end and the state championship.

"I would definitely accredit the coaches we have for the success we've had, myself and 13 other coaches," Cantrell said. "They do a phenomenal job, and they are kind of the big reason why I'm getting some of the recognition, like Coach of the Week. They're the guys that I rely on. Without them we probably wouldn't be undefeated right now. We probably wouldn't be Coach of the Week. So they've been a huge part of that for us and the players.

"Right now we have four different kids with Division I offers, which means these big Div. I schools come in and give them offers to play at the next level where they could get a full ride for school. The coaches and the players are the ones I would like to thank and give a shoutout to."