If Leesville Road football coach David Greene has a question about how to attack a specific defense, he can call N.C. State offensive coordinator Dana Bible.

If Panther Creek coach Wayne Bragg wants a little help, he can speed dial New York Jets wide receivers coach Noel Mazzone.

Ravenscroft coach Ned Gonet routinely checks in with former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher.

Tapping the local college staff for information is pretty much the norm for high school football coaches throughout the country. But these three area high school coaches have access to such high-caliber coaches through their teen children, who attend the schools.

Logan Bible is the backup quarterback at Leesville. Gray Mazzone is a quarterback at Green Hope. And Cowher's daughter Lindsay is a basketball standout at Ravenscroft.

It was not unusual for Mazzone or Cowher to attend workouts throughout the summer.

Mazzone once put the Panther Creek wide receivers through some drills.

Cowher was pretty much a regular at practice, sometimes talking on the sideline with Jim Ritcher, a former N.C. State teammate and an NFL Pro Bowl offensive guard whose sons attended the school.

Bible ordinarily couldn't attend workouts because contact between college coaches and high school players is limited by NCAA rules, but the NCAA makes allowances for coaches to see their sons' teams.

The high school coaches love to have so much football knowledge at practice, but they value even more the opportunity to talk to coaches who have experience at the highest levels of the game.

"The thing that impresses you immediately is how well a professional coach communicates," Gonet said. "Bill is a great teacher. You don't coach on the college or professional level unless you are very good at communicating what you want."

There is, of course, a learning curve.

Mazzone once suggested a drill for Panther Creek wide receivers that involved painting various colored lines on the field. He also offered him ideas about evaluating game video.

"Problem was I'm the painter," Bragg said. "If I was out painting lines for a drill, I couldn't be doing something else. The video program is great ... if we had somebody to do it."

Gonet said Cowher helped explain defensive techniques and schemes, some of which Gonet knew his players would not understand or be able to execute.

"But Bill is such a great teacher, he simplified some of the things that the Steelers use so that we can use them," Gonet said. "We have a zone blitz package that Bill worked out for us."

Mazzone, Cowher and Bible don't come to many high school practices anymore.

Mazzone is with the Jets in New York, although he does fly in for some Panther Creek games; Cowher is preparing for weekly television analysis; and Bible is wrapped up at State. But they are only a telephone call away.

"My defensive coordinator called Dana for some advice," Leesville's Green said of Bible. "Coach Bible is a great asset for us."

Bragg wouldn't hesitate to call Mazzone. "I know he is busy, but if I have a question, I know he is there to help," Bragg said.

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