TWINSBURG, Ohio — In February of 2022, News 5 introduced you to Charles Saulter, the first black head football coach at Twinsburg and in the Suburban League; two seasons into his tenure, he is already smashing his goals.
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“I just wanted to come in here for a couple of goals and help these men on and off the field, and I wanted to bring some excitement to the community,” said Charles Saulter.
The team went from 1-9 right before he was hired to 3-7 in his first season, and they just finished this past season 7-5.
“Our motto this year is don’t flinch and when we get in those tough times I feel like last year, our first year we would flinch, we got in those tough times when we didn’t know how to finish,” said Saulter. “This year we wanted to make sure what we were supposed to do."
Jaden Dye is one of 23 seniors on the team; the wide receiver has played all four years and knows how far the team has come under Saulter's leadership.
“I think the team’s overall perspective is that ‘we can do this’. Twinsburg has always had athletes for years and Coach Saulter has showed us that we can compete," said Dye.
Saulter was even recently named District Coach of the Year.
“My name might be on the award but it’s really about our staff, it’s about our community and it’s just a testament to the work we’ve done here in Twinsburg," said Saulter.
“I think the biggest difference is just our ability to lean on each other and just stay disciplined, we had a plan that we really wanted to accomplish from day one," said Dye.
For Saulter, the plan is to just keep building.
“We need to make sure that we understand that last year is just the start of what we want to do and to have a successful program we must be consistent. There’s a difference having a good season and having a good program," said Saulter.
