From left are Sampson County head football coaches Cory Johnson (Clinton), Barrett Sloan (Lakewood), Cory Barnes (Midway), Joe Salas (Hobbton) and Doug Burley (Union). (Dunn Area Sports Photo/Al Myatt)
The Sampson County public school football coaches convened for the annual Robert Hill luncheon at the Railroad Steakhouse in Roseboro on Friday before the Sampson Jamboree tonight at Dark Horse Stadium in Clinton.
The coaches provided an outlook for their teams for the upcoming season. Doug Burley of Union is the only returning head coach among the five schools who were on hand.
Former South Johnston coach and Harnett Central assistant Joe Salas has been hired at Hobbton. Salas talked about the influence football coaches had in his life.
He said the Wildcats are planning to have a junior varsity team.
New Lakewood coach Barrett Sloan is the son of former Midway coach Tommy Sloan. He played quarterback for the Raiders, graduated from East Carolina and worked most recently on the Triton staff.
Cory Barnes, a former Triton player and assistant, has come to Midway from North Johnston after Jason Fussell resigned to focus on baseball and his family. Barnes has installed a spread offense with Carson Calcutt at quarterback, but wasn’t planning to show future opponents much at the Jamboree.
“We’ll be as vanilla as vanilla can be,” Barnes said. “We just want to get some film and see who can play.”
Barnes has installed a spread offense with some option in Spivey’s Corner.
The Raiders have added former Lakewood All-America Cody Barnett as linebackers coach. John Walsh will coach defensive backs for the Raiders.
New Clinton coach Cory Johnson played at Jack Britt and Catawba. He coached defense at Scotland County before joining the Dark Horses, who will operate from a split back veer.
If Friday’s scrimmage was postponed due to weather, the coaches planned to go on Saturday at 9 a.m.
As reported by Dunn Area Sports in early May, Midway is naming its football stadium for former Raiders coach Tommy Sloan. The base for a statue of the former state champion coach is under construction at the stadium entrance. (Dunn Area Sports Photo/Al Myatt)
