St.Clair leads WC Rustin
Sometimes continued excellence is overlooked or taken for granted. People get used to winning and don’t fully appreciate the hard work and performance from a team or head coach. This may explain the job Mike St.Clair has done with the West Chester Rustin football program the past 15 years.
The Golden Knights head coach is the only boss the Golden Knights have known since the school’s inception in 2006.Aand almost since day one, the Knights have been a face both in the Ches-Mont league and District 1.
West Chester Rustin has multiple Ches-Mont American Division titles, a District 1 championship and have appeared in two PIAA playoffs. This is no accident, fluke or beneficiary of an easy schedule in the Ches-Mont American Division like many have insinuated over the years.
Under St.Clair, the Golden knights have become known as a hard charging, tough as nails football team whose kids will fight you tooth and nail for the entire 48 minutes. St.Clair does not like to throw the football and the Golden Knights do not pose a big surprise to teams that are game planning for the Golden Knights.
No, the Knights, like their head coach, come right at you and dare you to stop them. They are a no frills, year after year, quality football team that is a factor in the District 15A playoff push every single year
This season is no different as after a week one loss to Unionville, the Golden Knights have reeled off three straight victories including an eye opening 201-4 win over previously undefeated Downingtown East.
The Golden Knights defense came up big when they had to in the win over Downingtown East and the Golden Knights rushed the football for 304 yards. The offensive line, which is always very good, may have one of the best units in West Chester Rustin history as they fire out on almost every play.
And this is not accident. Before becoming head coach at Rustin, St.Clair was the defensive coordinator for West Chester East under head coach Joe Carroll and the Vikings defense was always known as a squad that would battle you sideline to sideline.
His teams are a mirror image of St.Clair. Tough, talented and they do their talking on the field. there is never any nonsense with on elf St.Clair’s teams. They come right at you and dare you to stop them. On defense, they are a handful to prepare for and they are always flying all over the field.
No one knows how the District 15a playoffs are going to shake out at this point. There is Unionville, who downed the Golden Knights 21-14 in week one. Then throw in defending champion Upper Dublin, Academy Park and Strath-Haven and anyone can see the 5A pool is very deep this season.
What is known is that West Chester Rustin will be somewhere in the mix like they always are. St.Clair will have them ready for every game and no one will want to play the Knights come playoff time. The talent changes every year in high school sports due to graduation but the tradition of winning that St.Clair and his staff has established at Rustin is truly remarkable. The Golden Knights head coach will never blow his own, or his teams horn.
No, Rustin and its head coach let the results speak for themselves. And since 2006, the results have been excellent. And the one constant in the Golden Knights world has been its head coach Mike st.Clair.
It has been no accident that West Chester Rustin is always a major player in District 1. And you won’t hear it from the head coach. He prefers you see it on the field.
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