Roane County defensive coordinator Matt Peery was named the new head football coach at Ravenswood High School on Thursday night. (Photo Provided)

PARKERSBURG — A pair of familiar names will lead Jackson County’s two football programs in 2024.

The Jackson County Board of Education approved Viking grad Ryan Simon (1992) and former Red Devil Matt Peery (2015) Thursday night to respectively lead Ripley and Ravenswood.

“At that point in my life, my kids are older, and I felt like they all wanted me to pursue it,” admitted Simon, a 2022 inductee into the Ripley High School Viking Football Hall of Fame.

“I felt like it was just the right time for me and my family. It just felt like the right time, it was the right fit and just the right opportunity. I’ve been doing it for so long I just felt like it was time.”

Peery, who has been an assistant for Roane County boss Paul Burdette the past five seasons with the last two as the O-line coach and defensive coordinator, had to jump at the chance.

Ripley High School Viking Football Hall of Fame 2022 inductee Ryan Simon, left, is presented with his HOF trophy from son Wyatt. Simon was named the new head coach at Ripley on Thursday night. (Photo Provided)

“Getting the opportunity to go back home was a big deal for me and for my wife it puts us an hour closer to her family (Detroit),” said the 2018 Glenville State graduate who earned his degree in special education and teaching/elementary education and teaching before securing his master’s in curriculum and instruction from Western Governors University.

“Really, there were just a bunch of community members and people in town that reached out and said it’s now or never. You need to try to make this happen and get back home.

“It will be a big deal for me. I remember growing up just as a little one going to Red Devil games on Friday night and being able to watch some of those great all-state players. I really enjoyed that and now being able to get the opportunity to give back to that community that did so much for me. It will be a big deal. It won’t be fun playing Roane County, but I got a lot of respect for these guys over here and have great relationships. They all understood why I’m doing what I’m doing. They are supportive and I’m thankful for that.”

Simon played under Frank Marino and was a sophomore during the Vikings’ first undefeated season.

“I didn’t do a whole lot on that team. We got to see a lot of good guys play,” said Simon, who owned his own RV business after graduating with his degree in organizational leadership/business from Fairmont State.

“I always had that itch to kind of coach and teach,” Simon added. “I sold my business and that’s when I went back to school and got my master’s at Marshall in special education.”

Simon said he got his start as a freshman coach under then Viking head man Jimmy Frashier. He’s also coached most recently with Steve Sayre, Eddie Smolder and David Tennant.

“Looking at goals and things I wanted to accomplish was to get the numbers up,” continued the new Ripley head coach, who has taught at Ripley for more than a decade. “I think it’s not just good for the program, but it’s great for the kids to be involved in sports, particularly football.

“That’s kind of my main goal is to get more kids out playing because the statistics show they are more successful in school and more successful in life when they are part of something bigger than themselves.”

Peery said he plans to relocate from Roane County at some point. He’s currently a special education math teacher and the head boys basketball coach.

“I think it starts with community involvement and letting the town people, the business owners – the stakeholders if you will – let them know what my plans are and kind of what my expectations are,” stressed coach Peery. “My goal there is to try and turn it around and get it back to where it was in 2014 when we went and beat Bluefield.

“It’s youth league. It’s middle school. It’s high school students who aren’t playing and going and talking to members of the wrestling and basketball and baseball teams and see what it’s going to take to try and get those guys out and make something special happen.”

Although Simon also knows winning the battle in the trenches is key, the Vikings are expected to be more of a spread team with the Red Devils going a different way.

“I think offensively you’ve got to be able to run the football, especially in the LKC and try to control the clock in games because there are so many good teams in the conference,” Peery continued. “Establishing the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball is going to be a big deal and a big point of emphasis.

“We were able to do something special in my time here at Roane rushing for almost 7,000 yards in the last two years. That’s all because of the boys up front. I think that’s where the focus has got to be early is getting both lines of the trenches taken care of and squared away the best we can.”

Simon, who said he does prefer to spread it out a little bit but hopes to be balanced, has seen plenty of different looks as an assistant.

“I think that’s probably one of my advantages,” he said. “I think depending on personnel we will probably be a spread team. I’ve always held this position in such high regard. I’ve been a part of it for so long. The head position is something I’ve always really looked up to the guys that’ve been in that position, and now to be in that position it’s a heck of an honor for me.

“The program means so much to me. Just the thought that those guys have enough confidence in me to do it means a lot. These are guys I’ve worked with for a lot of years. I’m so excited. I can not wait to get rolling. I’m busting at the seams at this point.”

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com