By STEVE MAZZONE

Sports writer

WOONSOCKET – The day has finally arrived.
Today marks the first day that high school football teams in Rhode Island can officially begin practice for the upcoming fall season.
Carnell Henderson couldn’t be happier.
Since being hired as the new head coach of the Woonsocket High football team this past spring, Henderson has highly awaited the day when he could finally take the field - the day he could walk out on the Barry Field turf, clipboard in hand, and direct his troops.
“The excitement,” he said, “I haven’t been able to get a hold of it just yet. But it’s very exciting taking on the challenge. It’s very exciting doing something positive for the community.”

Henderson comes into his new challenge replacing longtime coach Mike Kane, who held the top post for several years and endured quite a bit of success, including winning a Division III state crown in 2004.  Unlike Kane, who was also a teacher at the school, the 35-year-old Henderson will be walking the sidelines with a slightly different dual role. Besides being the new coach, he’s also the assistant principal at Woonsocket.
He’s prepared for the juggling act, though.
“The balance, as far as being an administrator and a coach, that’s going to be a challenge,” he admitted. “My priority, first and foremost, is being an assistant principal. But I have got an administrative team that’s going to help make this work.”
The surroundings for Henderson this fall should certainly spur a little déjà vu and bring back some fond memories. After all, it’s where he also once starred on the gridiron.
Henderson, who graduated from WHS in 1991, played three years under former coach Bob Calascibetta. As a star receiver for the Villa Novans, he was a member of a team that went to the Division I Super Bowl in 1989. Henderson furthered his career at Boston University where he attained honorable mention All-American honors and also earned numerous other accolades, including All-Yankee Conference and All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The highlight of his collegiate career occurred during his senior year when he led the Terriers to a 45-23 victory over the University of Rhode Island by catching seven passes for a school-record 246 yards.
Upon graduation from BU, Henderson took a job as a receiver coach for Fairfield University, where he helped start the first-year program. He remained at Fairfield for six years before eventually making his way back to his alma mater, where he was hired as an assistant principal in 2005.
Along with the support of the administration and his assistant coaches, Henderson further believes he can handle his balancing act as coach and administrator because he had somewhat of a taste of it at Fairfield. While lending his expertise on the field, he was also a high school math teacher.
Even though practice is just beginning, Henderson has already seen some positive signs from his upcoming squad. In the early spring last year, all he had to do was take a walk down from his office and glance into the weight room.
“We’ve had kids committed to the working out since March,” he said. “The energy level has been very high.”
Henderson credits a strong core of senior players as prime motivators.
“I feel fortunate to have good senior leaders,” he said. “They are definitely grinding and doing the little things to show they can get it done. They’re getting kids in the weight room, working on conditioning, and getting them out there running. These are the little things that have to be done. They know they can’t just show up to camp and expect it to happen.”
Among some of the key players that will be returning from last year’s squad that went 3-4 in Division II-A are running back Tyrone Nealy, quarterback Danny Gonsalves and linemen Eric Lee and Kyle Corriveau. Henderson knows it’s too early to tell just how talented his team will be this year, but from what he saw from the 2007 squad and the returning members, he’s optimistic what’s in store the next few months.
“If you look on paper,” he said. “We have a lot of skills players that can make plays. I’m the type of guy that you utilize your skill players. I want to get my best athletes on the field to make some plays.
“But once I get a chance to get on the football field and see them running around, I’ll be able to dictate what I want to do. The main goal is to put the best athletes on the field. I don’t really want to lock myself into a particular system.”
Henderson will have plenty of help in guiding this year’s team with a bevy of assistant and volunteer coaches. His dedicated staff includes his older brother Curtis Henderson, a former NFL player and a member of the school’s Hall of Fame. Also joining the younger Henderson on the sidelines will be Daniel Chattman, Alonzo Cumberlander, Mike Sirignano, John Marcello, Brian Bouley, Steve Porricelli and Derek Grinkin.
“It’s a lot like when I first started at Fairfield and we were all young coaches who just worked hard and wanted to win,” Henderson said. “It kind of feels that way here.”
One of Henderson’s goals in the coming years is to eventually return the Villa Novans back to Division I to face the best competition that the state has to offer. He understands that it may take a few years before that happens.
“You have to give yourself at least a three-to-four year window,” he said.
Woonsocket will get its first taste of the elite squads in its non-league season opener against East Providence on Sept. 13. That’s the main goal right now for the first-year coach.
“That’s what I have to get my kids ready for,” Henderson said. “East Providence is a strong Division I program. If we want to compete at that level we have to prove it. I can’t look beyond that game right now. I have to get my guys and coaching staff ready for East Providence.”