Head football coach Reginald Ware is looking to bring some success back to Tara High School. Coach Ware is a former player himself at Southern University so he knows a thing or two about the game. Tara has not had much success recently, but Ware is looking to change that. He thinks this season is the year Tara makes itself relevant again, and his team will need to physical and disciplined in order to do so.
Coach Ware is looking to bring some of the success he had coaching middle school football over to Tara High. He was an outstanding head coach at Westdale Middle, in Baton Rouge where he really built their program into what it is today.
“I am from Lake Providence, Louisiana, and then went on to Southern University and played a little football out there. I played wide receiver and have been coaching since I graduated for about 21 years and most of that was middle school football. The previous high school I coached at was Belaire where I was the defensive coordinator in 2015h. Then, I got the Tara job last year. It was the first season of transition and trying to bring Tara back. It was just a rough season, and I think the last time Tara was relevant was about 2008 or 2009, something like that. It has been hard to get their program back on track, but I think we have the right things in place now and we are going in the right direction.”
Tara Head Coach Reginald Ware
Coach Wade discusses the difficulty playing in such a large district in class 4A. He thinks it would be a good idea for the district to split up because a nine-team district is a lot. Although having tough competition always makes players better, Ware would like to see some changes happen.
“It’s a big district, and I think it’s just too large right now. Either they should have divided the district up or put some people in other districts that are close by. The teams across the river I think should be in a Lafayette district. It’s just like when you have to nine team district. You have eight district games and can only really schedule two games. Most of the time, by week two, we are already playing district. It’s not easy. It’s very competitive, but I think there will be some people who come up with a good plan on how to fix the district. I just think it’s too big right now. You want to schedule at least two or three non-district games before you start district. This is so you can really figure out who does what and who’s capable of what and what you need to be ready district so you’d have everything in place to have more competitive games instead of just jumping right into district and things like that.”
Tara Head Coach Reginald Ware
Coach Ware coached teams have always brought a certain level of physicality to the field whether it was his middle school teams or his high school teams. He believes that his players have what it takes to bring that level he needs to the field every Friday night this fall.
“It is going to take on how I’ve always been, which is a physical minded coach. On both sides of the ball, offensive and defense, I coached at Westdale Middle School and that’s what gave me most of my background. My Westdale teams were always physically and mentally tough, and I will try to bring that same kind of style and play to Tara. I just have elevated these kids to believe that they can do it and that they can win. I mean that’s basically it.”
Tara Head Coach Reginald Ware
Reginald Ware describes his Tara Trojans as underdogs that have to push through perseverance. He wants his kids to not just play football but learn important lessons along the way. He hopes to impact his players in the same way his former coaches impacted him.
“Tara High School kind of reminds me of my life, and it’s that’s you’re an underdog. You have to rise above no matter what have pressing against you like I did. I was in the military and started college a little late, and I had an obstacle that came up that probably could deter some people from going to college. Despite all of that, I continued to go to school, I got a degree and then winded up getting my masters’ degree and got right to start coaching. I didn’t really know I was going to be coaching and then I started coaching middle school football and realized that I did want to be a coach and just stuck with it. It gets you a chance to reach those kids. There are some kids that you probably can’t convince them that academics is their way out and you reach out through sports and you try to connect with those guys and make them understand that got more to a person than just football and there’s more to life. I really try and connect with these kids as best as I can.”
Tara Head Coach Reginald Ware
After a winless season in 2022, Coach Ware sees a very bright future ahead for the Trojans in 2023 and beyond that as there is nowhere to go but up for this program led by three of his top players that are leading the way in 2024 DE/LB Keavon Scott, DB Xzavier Ware, and RB/LB Eldon Spears Jr.
“I think the future looks very bright for Tara. I mean I think we have started a culture there with this new group of kids we got. I just think they have a tighter bond and they just get along with each other a little bit better. They push each other and hold each other accountable for the actions which you want a team to do. Once they started doing that, they’re gelling together and are a core so all we have to do is get other people because you know we got the numbers. So if we get a hold of the other new kids coming in and they come and see how we act and respond as a team, all that eventually will just catch on. As I’ve said, the whole culture is changing. I just think that basically the future is very bright for Tara High School.”
Tara Head Coach Reginald Ware
You must be logged in to post a comment.