The Daily Southerner, Tarboro, NC

Sports

December 2, 2009

Ward is No. 1 in my book

CALVIN ADKINS

A committee of six people selected SouthWest Edgecombe Cougars Coach Raymond Cobb as the Freedom Credit Union Twin County Coach of the Year recently. The school was presented a $1,000 check in his honor. Among the eight coaches, Southern Nash head Coach Brian Foster came in second.

It an oxymoron to say that Cobb is among the top coaches in the Twin County as well as the entire state. The 2009 East-West game coach record speaks for itself. While averaging more than 30 points this season, he led the Cougars to a school record 13 wins en-route to beating traditionally greats, Rocky Mount, Kinston, Tarboro and Jacksonville Northside. Cobb led the Cougars to the third round of the NCHSAA 2-AA playoffs where they loss by a mere two points.

Although those accolades are great, I’m just talking, Cobb would not have gotten my vote.

Warriors Danny Ward was Cobb's assistant coach for several years at North Edgecombe before the Pinetops resident became head coach for the Cougars in 2004. Ward took over the helm for the Warriors' the same year.

Last year the Warriors suffered one of the worst seasons in school history. They had 24 turnovers and scored only 54 points the entire season. They did not win a game – zero, nada, zip, zilch, not one.

Ward's ego took a blow, but he often told me that his team was better than their record reflected. The Warriors' poor performance stemmed from the lack of participants and some of those who participated didn't believe in the system. Ward said, "We are going to be all right next year."

So lets fast forward to this season. The Warriors got off to another bad start losing its first three games and was on a 15-game-losing streak dating back to 2007. Ward said again, "We are better than this."

By the time conference play rolled around, Ward and the Warriors were probably the laughing stock of Edgecombe County. Tar Roanoke Conference teams probably stamped "easy game" on date that they were scheduled to play the Warriors. They really didn't know what they were getting into. North waltz through the conference terrorizing their foes. They beat Gates County 50-24 and Kipp Pride 48-6. Their only loss was 14-6 defeat handed to them by conference champions Weldon. Coach Ward and the Warriors got the last laugh.

As the post season approached, outside of North's camp, non-believers still believed that the Warriors season was a fluke. After three post season wins and heading to the fourth round of the playoffs Friday night, the Warriors proved that they are for real.

The credit to the Warriors' magnificent season goes to Ward for his incredible resilience through tough times. He endured the name calling, and some even suggested that they change coaches.

Through the humilation, Ward remained humbled and summoned his troops together and sold them on his game plan. The Warriors have won eight out of the last nine games and they are heading to the fourth round of the playoffs for the first time since 2003. The five-year veteran coach won't take the credit for his success. He always say, "It's the assistant coaches and my guys work ethics that got us here. He maybe right but Ward is the man.

Hollywood could not have written a better script with the exception of naming Danny Ward the Twin County Coach of the Year.

If I was on the Twin County Coach of they Year committee, Ward would have gotten my vote.

And that's not Hollywood.



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