High school football: Strong debut for Sophia and Cavaliers

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, August 22, 2023

By Dave Shaw

By David Shaw

For the Salisbury Post

SPENCER — First impressions are important — and so far, Josh Sophia seems like a good fit to lead North Rowan’s football program back into prominence.

No, the first-year head coach doesn’t check all the boxes like some of the greats of yesteryear. He doesn’t boast a coaching resume that screams “hire me” after four walk-before-you-run seasons at rebuilding Camden County. And no, he hasn’t won anything yet, though reaching the 2A state playoffs last autumn was a worthy accomplishment.

What Sophia brings to Spencer is a reputation as a stern-but-fair motivator, as a player’s coach, as a bellwether who can take the Cavs where they hope to go. That would be someplace like 2013 through 2018, when the Cavs prevailed 73 percent of the time while he served as an assistant under successful head men Joe Nixon and Ben Hampton. He’s a straight-line connection to happier times — and current team members are embracing him.

“I was here before so some of them knew me, or knew of me,” Sophia was saying Friday night, shortly after North dismantled East Rowan in his debut on North Whitehead Avenue. “With a coaching change, you always get a different style. They have to adjust to me. I’m going to get on them when I need to. And when I do that, I tell them it’s about the team and making the team better. It’s nothing against them. It’s about the team.”

If chapter one, page one is any indication, the Cavs will be an interesting story. Their 51-10 season-opening victory was largely a vote of confidence, an affirmation sprinkled with all the trademarks North fans have come to love. For starters, there was shake-and-bake running back Jaemias Morrow shoulder-dipping his way for 155 yards and a pair of touchdowns, further burnishing his credentials to play on Saturdays next year.

“I feel like I’m an underrated prospect,” he made it known outside North’s jovial locker room. “I’ve put in the work. I’ve got the numbers. I’ve got good grades. And the coach pushes me hard. He’s someone who can take all of us to the playoffs.”

Next up was quarterback Jeremiah Alford, the razzle-dazzle junior who keeps one eye on the future and the other on North’s next opponent. Against East he passed for 155 yards and two touchdowns — all while rushing for 95 yards and another two scores — as the Cavs exacted 484 yards total offense and scored on seven of their 10 possessions.

“Personally, I need to read the field a little better,” Alford humbly said. “I need to run the offense with more pace. Coach Sophia has been very helpful with that. He’s good at getting us riled up and making us believe we can win every game. Everybody loves him. We have guys who said they didn’t want to play this year but came out because of him. Even basketball players.”

Armed with a roster that lists only 22 players — minus the four who appeared anonymously and were added during the game — Sophia knows he’s facing a challenge.

“Oh, it’s a challenge every day with these guys,” he said with a relaxed smile. “But it’s a new day every day. And we are headed in the right direction.”

It’s a direction East hopes to find. The Mustangs struggled throughout, falling behind quickly and never recovering.

“The momentum turned early and it never turned back,” said East coach John Fitz. “It was 15-0 for a long time before we just shot ourselves in the foot. I told our kids we played hard all night. We just got beat.”

A bright spot was senior Tijon Everhart, a wide receiver inserted at running back who earned rave reviews. He caught a pass for a short gain on East’s first possession. By the second quarter he was in the backfield, bulldozing his way for 109 yards on 14 carries.

Junior Will Klingler handled most of ER’s quarterback duties and completed 10 of 19 passes, though none gained more than the 16-yard strike he threw to AJ Goodman (5 receptions, 40 yards) in the opening period. Defensively, the Mustangs were a little soft, allowing 17 first downs and 329 yards on the ground.

Somehow, it all reflected on Sophia. In his mind, defense comes first. And second. And third.

“Defense wins championships,” two-way lineman Kamahri Feamster reminded us. “And he’s a defensive-minded coach. He got us ready to come play. It’s like he knew we were going to come out here and put on a show for the fans.”

“He’s a very inspirational person,” Alford added. “Someone who will be good for this community and good for our team.”

Even so, Sophia admitted feeling uneasy before kickoff. “I’m nervous before any game,” he said. “But coming back here, with the excitement that’s built up, yeah I felt a little pressure.”

Some three hours later, with a first victory in hand, the pressure was off — at least for the night.

“Coach is gonna go home and celebrate,” beamed senior linebacker Lathan Ingram. “Cel-A-Brate. All capitals.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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