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Warrior Basketball Coaching Staff

Vance Harmon - Varsity Head Coach

 

COACHING EXPERIENCE

Head Coach, Henrico High School, 2004-present............................. Career Record  372-128 (74%)

Head Coach, J.R. Tucker High School, 2002-2003

Assistant Coach, J.R. Tucker High School, 1995-2001

 

REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIPS AND POSTSEASON APPEARANCES

VHSL State Finals---2013, 2014, 2015 (Head Coach)

VHSL State Semi-finals---2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 (Head Coach)

VHSL State Quarterfinals---2005, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020 (Head Coach)

Region Finals---2005, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020 (Head Coach)

Region Semi-Finals---2005, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020 (Head Coach)

Region Quarterfinals---2005 thru 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020 (Head Coach)  1998 (Assistant Coach)

Region Tournament---2004 thru 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020 (Head Coach)  1998 and 1999 (Assistant Coach)

Conference 11 Tournament Champions---2014, 2015, 2016 (Head Coach)

Capital District Tournament Champions---2004, 2012, 2013, 2014 (Head Coach)

Capital District Tournament Finals---2004, 2005, 2007 - 2014 (Head Coach)

Capital District Regular Season Champions---2005, 2012, 2013 (Head Coach)

Colonial District Tournament Finals---1998 (Assistant Coach)

 

PERSONAL

Born      December 30, 1970, Richmond, VA.

High School    Douglas S. Freeman, 1990

College      Virginia Union University, 1994

Family     Wife - Christy     Daughters -Virginia-Anne (13) and Margaret (8)

EDUCATION

B.A., History/Political Science, Virginia Union University, 1994

 

YEAR-BY-YEAR HEAD COACHING RESULTS

Year School Record Accomplishments

2020  Henrico  22-4  5B Region Champs, State Quarterfinals, Coached 14th player in HHS history to score 1,000 points

2019  Henrico  18-5  Region Quarterfinals, 350th coaching victory vs. Hermitage

2018  Henrico  14-9  Region Quarterfinals, Coached the 13th player in HHS history to score 1,000 points

2017  Henrico  17-7   Class of 2017 finishes fifth all-time with 89 career wins

2016  Henrico  22-3  Conference 11 Champs (5th year in a row) Region Quarterfinals and 6th straight 20 win season

2015  Henrico  29-1  State champs, 5A South Region, Conference and Tournament Champs

          Conference, Region, VHSCA, VA Preps, VHSL Coach of the Year

2014  Henrico  22-7  State Finals, Conference 11 Champs

          NFHS Mideast Sectional Coach of the Year

2013  Henrico  30-2  State champs, Region, District and Tournament champs,

          VHSCA State Coach of the Year

2012  Henrico  28-3  State Semi-Finals, District and Tournament champs,

         Central Region Coach of the Year

2011  Henrico  20-7  Region Quarterfinals, Third 20 win season in coaching career

2010 Henrico  14-10  Region Quarterfinals, Coached 8th player in HHS history to score 1,000 points

2009 Henrico  19-9   Region Semi-Finals, Coached the District Player of the Year

2008 Henrico  19-8   Region Quarterfinals, 100th victory at Henrico High School on Guy Davis Court

2007 Henrico  19-7    Region Quarterfinals, District Coach of the Year

2006 Henrico  22-5   Region Quarterfinals, Tie school record for victories for second season

2005 Henrico  22-6   State Quarterfinals, District champs, District Coach of the Year

2004 Henrico  19-8   Region Sweet 16, Tournament champs, 8 more victories than the previous season

2003  JR Tucker  9-14  Defeated TJ twice, Douglas Freeman on the road

2002  JR Tucker  8-13   5 more victories than the previous season

 

18 SEASONS

372 wins - 128 losses

74% winning percentage

2 State Championship

3 Region Championship

16  Region appearances

6 Tournament Championships

Walter Atwell - Varsity Assistant Coach

Walt Atwell has extensive experience coaching high school basketball in the Richmond area.  Before moving to Henrico, he worked with Vance Harmon as an assistant coach at Tucker High School from 2001 - 2003.  He served as an assistant coach for the varsity girls team at Godwin High School during the 2000-2001 season.  Before that, he was JV head coach at Tucker High School from 1996 - 1998.  Also, while attending Radford University (‘95), Atwell served as an assistant to the varsity boys team at Radford High School during the 1994-1995 season.

 

A graduate of Tucker High School (‘91), Atwell earned varsity letters in basketball, baseball, and tennis.  He currently works as the P.E. teacher at Ridge Elementary School, and teaches family life for elementary school boys in Henrico County.  In addition, he is a state trainer for the Virginia Department of Education in Family Life.  Atwell was honored as the 2001 Elementary P.E. Teacher of the Year in Henrico County and again as the Teacher of the Year at Ridge Elementary School during the 2009 and the 2014 school year.

 

Atwell is the proud father of Darby and Barrett Atwell and husband to Monica Atwell.

Tim Jones - Varsity Assistant Coach

Jones is an experienced high school and AAU basketball coach and is an accomplished athlete in his own right.  As a professional football player, he spent six years playing arena football with the Richmond Speed and the Richmond Bandits.  Jones, a wartime veteran, also spent two seasons playing basketball professionally in Frankfurt, Germany, after his service in the military.

As a Henrico graduate (‘89), Jones lays claim to being a part of both undefeated JV teams in Henrico history.  One as a player and one as a coach.  Longtime Henrico coach Guy Davis described him as “One of the top 20 best scorers in Henrico history.” 

Jones advocates for community involvement.  He promotes “A healthy body equals a strong mind, equals a productive citizen”.  He currently runs a non-profit organization called Youth Wellness.

Sylvio Brutus - Varsity Assistant Coach

Coach Brutus brings a wealth of basketball knowledge and experience to the Henrico bench.   His many years of coaching include one season (02-03) as the JV head coach at Randolph Macon Academy.  After that season, he moved up to become the head varsity coach for six seasons.  In 2009, he took over as head varsity coach at his alma mater Admiral Farragut Academy and stayed there through the 2012-2013 season. 

After a short hiatus from coaching, he returned as a varsity assistant at Varina High School in 2015-2016 and after becoming a business teacher at Henrico High School, he moved to join the Warrior staff starting in the 2016-2017 season. 

Brutus is a proud graduate of Admiral Farragut Academy ('98).  He also received a degree in Business Administration from Ferrum College ('02) and a degree in K-12 school administration from Shenandoah University ('06). 

Blake Choplin - JV Head Coach

A long time Henrico coach, Choplin began his first season with the Warriors as a varsity assistant in 2005.  He spent two seasons as a varsity assistant and three seasons as a JV assistant before becoming JV head coach in the 2010 season.  In his first season as head coach, Choplin lead the Warriors to a 5 - 0 start and an impressive 13 - 3 final record.  This included two wins against Highland Springs (HHS’s first JV victory against the Springers since the 04 season) and one win against a talented John Marshall team.  His second season was a 14 - 6 campaign highlighted by one win against Highland Springs and one against Varina.  He also lead the 2014 JV Warriors to be one of the top JV teams in Henrico history with an undefeated 20-0 season.  His career record is 165 - 54.  His first season at Henrico in 2005 was highlighted with Henrico’s second-ever trip to the State Tournament. 

 

Before coaching at Henrico, Choplin attended the University of Richmond (‘04) where he earned a degree in psychology and elementary education.  Originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Choplin attended Mount Tabor High School (‘99).  In his senior year, he helped the Spartans to the school’s first appearance in the round of 16 in the North Carolina State Tournament.

Rafer Giles - JV Assistant Coach

Rafer A. Giles Sr, a former warrior, is excited to be working with kids from his Alma Mater.   He played basketball for Henrico High School (1983-1986) and continued his career and education at Fork Union Military Academy (1986-87) and the University of Massachusetts (1987-1991).  Giles has accrued many awards. In 1985 and 1986 he was, 2-Time Colonial District player of the year, 2-Time All Metro, and 2-Time All State. In 1986, Giles was Central Region and Times Dispatch player of the year. His high school career points totaled 1,365 with an average of 19 points. Giles went on to play basketball in post graduate school, attending Fork Union Military Academy (1986-1987).  They were the only team to be undefeated (29-0). In 1987, he was granted a full scholarship to University of Massachusetts. While at UMASS, he received an award for All Atlantic Ten Freshman team. He was the 16th player in UMASS history to reach the 1,000 point mark. Overall in his college career, Giles scored 1,053 points. Giles has been recognized with the Sixth Man Award, which is given out each year for the most deserving 6th man on the University of Massachusetts basketball squad.  He was coached by John Calipari (Kentucky).  Giles is also the Founder and President of the River City Reign travel basketball organization

Rafer received his Bachelor of Science degree in Sport Management from the University of Massachusetts in 1991.  Giles and his wife, Paula, have two daughters, Sade, and Raven, and two sons, Rafer Jr. and, Jordan.

EJ Leabough - JV Assistant Coach

Coach EJ joins the Henrico staff after starting as a youth coach in 2015.  He began coaching that year for Chamberlayne Youth Football and Chamberlayne Youth Basketball as an assistant coach.  In 2016, he joined in with the AAU basketball organization River City Reign as an assistant coach.  He worked with the class of '26.  In 2018, Coach EJ was a part of the '26 and '27 Reign teams as an assistant coach.  The following season, he became the head coach for the class of '28 and finished the season with a record of 28 - 11, including 5 tournament championships and finishing as the NTBA National Runner Up. 

An athlete from the Richmond area, EJ played basketball for Hermitage High School from 2004-2007 and then graduated from Varina High School ('08).

For the past four years, he has enjoyed working with youth in schools as a behavioral aide counselor.  He is a proud father with three amazing children.

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