In a visit to Wednesday’s Atmore Lions Club meeting, Escambia County Blue Devils head football coach Mark Heaton delivered a message that promised change for how the team performs on and off the gridiron.

Dressed to represent ECHS in a blue polo, Heaton stepped to the podium to share with members of the club how things are going to be changing on the football team as well as in the school.

Heaton started by telling the club how things have become much different since he arrived at the school in the midst of the spring semester, saying things are much “brighter” now than they were previously.

“When I walked through the front doors of the school on April 19, it was the darkest place that I had ever walked into,” Heaton said. “I knew what challenges were in front of me though, and I knew the Lord had prepared me to face them. Things are different now because every day that I go to the school, I try to shine some light into it, and with my coaching staff, I have surrounded myself with people who will also try to brighten it up.”

Aside from he and his staff, the administration is another aspect of the school that Heaton sees bringing on change.

Heaton said that the administration has completely changed, and added that working with new ECHS principal Zickeyous Byrd has been good.

“I walk into the front office, and the entire face of the administration has changed,” Heaton said. “Mr. Byrd is a great guy to work for, and I’ve enjoyed working with him the last two weeks. I’m really looking forward to working with him even more once school begins.”

For more see Saturday’s edition of The Atmore Advance.