Corinth Holders looks to change course with new coach

By Randy Capps

The laundry list of things for a head football coach to do in July is more extensive than one might think. It includes things like 7-on-7 schedules, jamboree planning, roster planning and conditioning plans.

The new head coach at Corinth Holders, Carl Smith Jr., took the job last month and has a more basic set of tasks — like getting to know players, parents, teachers, coaches and community members.

Of course, bouncing back from last season’s 2-8 record and snapping a streak of eight consecutive losing seasons for the Pirate football program is on that list, too.

“I’m going to rely on my coaching staff, especially the ones that've been here for a while,” he said. “Lean on the community support that I know I'm going to get. Show up and do the work like I always do. We're going to hit the ground running. I have a great wife that’s going to support me. She might be upset, but at the end of the day, she's going to stand (for it) when I come home at three or four in the morning.”

Smith knows all about rebuilding programs. He comes to Wendell from Person County High School, where he led the Rockets to a 5-6 mark and a playoff appearance last season. Previously, he served as Beddingfield’s head coach, where he led the Bruins to a 13-7 overall record. His overall record as a head coach is 25-26.

He has no illusions on the challenges he’s facing, including the conference he’s stepping into.

He’s still putting names with faces, but he’s aware enough of his roster to know who the leaders might be.

“We're not looking at them,” he said of his Greater Neuse 4A competition. “And that's not bulletin board (material) or anything like that. The only thing we’re worried about is right here in Corinth holders. We worried about our four walls and getting things going the right way. And then once it's time to play them, it'll be time.”

He’s still putting names with faces, but he’s aware enough of his roster to know who the leaders might be.

“Zion Ware? I believe in that kid,” Smith said. “I love his intensity. I love what I see on film. Jaylon Holder is another kid I think could do great things.”

Ware, a senior linebacker, had 55 tackles, nine tackles for loss and three sacks last while Holder rushed for 590 yards and four touchdowns in his junior campaign.

While Corinth Holders is one of the 20 largest high schools in the state, Smith knows that success is more than just enrollment.

“Numbers aren't everything,” he said. “I've been at teams where they will have 40 kids varsity from freshmen to seniors, and they'll beat just about anybody. It has nothing to do with how many kids you’ve got or how many kids you don't have. It has nothing to do with how full your coaching staff is or how much you don't have. It's about the kids.

“The kids can buy into it and believe in themselves and be confident in what they're doing. You can give them guidance and instruction. They go out there and play free and smart and physical. (If that happens) you’ve got a chance to beat anybody. So that's what we're trying to get done here."