Jeremy Joyner named new South Lenior head varsity football coach

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on August 12, 2016 1:49 PM

• Print
• Email

rcoggins@newsargus.com

DEEP RUN -- First, he grabbed a brush and a bucket of paint.

The fresh-paint aroma soon filled the fieldhouse.

Next, he grabbed a weed eater and filled the lawn mower with gas. Within a day's time, the outside of the fieldhouse looked completely different.

To some, it might mean a makeover.

But Jeremy Joyner hoped it sent a message.

"I think if the kids see me working to make those things (facilities) look better, hopefully they'll realize that 'hey, this guy is really trying to bring something new better to our football program'."

Don't think it won't be a challenge, though.

Joyner takes over a South Lenoir football program that hasn't experienced much success during its 53 seasons of existence. The Blue Devils compiled a 3-19 record under previous head coach Fred Kennedy, and are 1-21 in conference play over the past four years.

The lone win was a forfeit from current Eastern Carolina 2-A foe Goldsboro in 2014.

"I look forward to building something basically from the ground up, trying to work with the community, get them involved, get more participation out of the students at school," said Joyner, who played football at Southern Wayne and was an assistant coach for three seasons at Princeton.

"I want to get the participation up and show the kids that it's an awesome thing to be a part of football program. That will be the number one thing right now."

Joyner, principal Steve Saint-Amand and athletics director Lisa Smith agreed they all want to see the participation numbers steadily increase in football each year. The Blue Devils are not expected to field a JV team this fall.

The trio also acknowledged that the student-athletes should work to excel in more than one or two sports. That, says Joyner, should help spark growth in the athletic program overall.

However, he doesn't expect to resurrect South Lenoir overnight.

Since 1964, the Blue Devils have experienced just 13 winning seasons -- the last coming in 2010 when Kevin Smith guided the team to the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 2-A playoffs.

South Lenoir is 0-5 all-time in five postseason appearances.

A new head coach who has developed his own philosophy through discussions with some of the state's top prep coaches, Joyner anticipates his stress factor to increase tenfold before the team's season opener Aug. 19 at Spring Creek.

"I always expect the best out of myself," Joyner said. "We're going to have to do a lot of changing and it's something I'm going to have to be patient with, but I believe that if we can get these kids to buy in 100 percent, we can be successful at South Lenoir.

"It's a situation where I can build it from where it is (now) and hopefully I can make it better than what it was when I got there."

The Blue Devils are projected to return 10 starters off last year's team which filed an 0-11 worksheet. It was the school's first winless campaign since 2000 and just the third overall in five-plus decades.

Two-way starters Michael Pollard and Tyrese Suggs are the lone underclassmen back with any playing experience. Te'Callan Edwards, Jordan Kennedy and Samuel Pierre -- all seniors -- combined to rush for 577 total yards.

Ward led the defense with 43 stops, including seven for loss yardage.

"Football teaches so many life lessons," Joyner said. "You can't have people do their own thing. You've got to work together for the common good. The team concept is very big and important -- vital to the success of any program or organization.

"There's absolutely positively no better feeling than playing under the lights on Friday night. To me, that's the best setting in high school sports."

Especially when you freshen things up a bit.