Tom Henderson has returned from a two-year hiatus and picked up right where he left off.

Henderson began his second stint as head football coach at Burrell High School with Friday's 34-0 blanking of West Shamokin.

"I can't really pinpoint one thing," said Henderson, who stepped down after the 2005 season, ending a 13-season run with the Buccaneers. "I was worn out. I needed a break. I just couldn't give as much to the team as I needed to. I just felt like it was the right thing to do."

Henderson also wanted to follow his son, Tyler, who is now a redshirt sophomore defensive back at Slippery Rock University.

"I learned last year that it was very possible to see Tyler play and coach," Henderson said. "If I couldn't see Tyler play, I wouldn't have come back."

Henderson took a break from coaching in 2006, then hooked on as quarterbacks coach at Franklin Regional last season. Then came the news that Burrell decided not to renew the contract of coach Dave Heavner, who led the Buccaneers to back-to-back 4-5 seasons.

"I was surprised to see the job open at Burrell," said Henderson, who still teaches fifth grade in the Burrell School District at Bon-Air Elementary. "A few of the kids asked me to come back, so I decided to apply for the position."

Henderson was rehired in April, which gave him plenty of time to prepare for the 2008 season.

"The good thing is that I know all the kids," Henderson said. "I've had a good rapport with them since they were in grade school. The transition was relatively easy.

"It's just a little tough getting used to the little things a head coach has to do -- all the paperwork, the phone calls and stuff like that."

The Buccaneers had a 96-45 record and won or shared a conference title seven times during Henderson's first coaching stint.

"I had no idea what to expect with this team," Henderson said. "Last year's team was dominated by seniors. Only four kids returned with varsity experience. We have 47 kids on the team and only seven are seniors. And three of the seniors are playing for the first time."

One thing he was sure of was their dedication.

"The kids worked their tails off over the summer," Henderson said. "They knew what they had to do and have responded well."

Henderson was most impressed with the discipline the Buccaneers exhibited in Friday's win against West Shamokin.

"We had only two penalties and no turnovers," Henderson said. "They kept their composure. I'm happy with the progress we've made, but they still have a lot more work to do."

The only players who have significant varsity experience are senior tailback Troy Highfield, senior offensive tackle Steve Johnson, junior safety Mark Kaczanowicz and junior cornerback Chris Linden.

Highfield rushed for 84 yards on 12 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns against West Shamokin. But his performance was overshadowed by junior quarterback Camren Nelson and sophomore wide receiver David Yakopec. The duo connected on touchdown passes of 13, 27 and 30 yards.

"Camren didn't play football last year, but he's a very talented athlete," Henderson said. "He was a starter on our PIAA finalist baseball team and was also a member of the basketball and golf teams. He's worked very hard. It's nice to see him rewarded."

Nelson completed 14 of 18 passes for 164 yards. Yakopec caught eight passes for 88 yards.

"David is the biggest of our receivers," Henderson said of Yakopec, who is 6 feet 3. "He's one of five skilled receivers. None of them are speedburners, but they can all catch the ball."

Henderson also was impressed with the Buccaneers' fine defensive performance.

"The kids are starting to understand what it takes to play solid defense," Henderson said. "We struggled on defense during our two scrimmages, but they were against two Class AAA teams, Ambridge and Knoch. Friday they played with more enthusiasm."

Henderson especially was impressed with the play of senior defensive end Derek Edwards.

"Derek hasn't played football since ninth grade," Henderson said. "He's a tough-nosed kid who was voted as one of our captains. He provided a lot of pressure on Friday and slowed down West Shamokin's running game."

Burrell has its home opener tomorrow against Deer Lakes.

"The Allegheny Conference is always tough and this year should be no different," Henderson said. "From top to bottom, its one of the strongest conferences in Class AA. It's not going to be easy to qualify for the WPIAL playoffs in this conference, but the kids are looking forward to the challenge."