by Lisa Hinton-Valdrighi
Essex High School head football coach Todd Jones recently was named Virginia High School League (VHSL) Class 1 coach of the year. During the 2024 season, Jones led the Trojans to a 14-1 record and the school’s second state title with a 22-0 win over Grayson County in the VHSL Class 1 state football championship game.
The VHSL Class 1 all-state team was released December 17 and included five EHS players on the first team and two on the second.
A Class 1 powerhouse, Essex lost in the state championship, 7-6, to Galax last year and with its December 14 win over Grayson County claimed its second state title under Jones. Essex won its first state championship in 2009, claiming the Division 2 crown, 30-0, over Radford. During his 27-year career as a head coach at multiple schools, Jones has compiled a 249-87 record, which includes….
