SILER CITY — It took almost two months, but Jordan-Matthews finally has a new football coach.
Sam Spencer was hired by the Siler City school to become only the sixth head football coach since the school first fielded a team in 1957.
Spencer will be only the third coach in the last 42 years, replacing Marty Scotten, who served as the Jets head coach for the last 23 seasons. Phil Senter, who coached Scotten as a player, was the head man for the other 19 seasons in that lengthy span.
Spencer spent last season as an assistant under Scotten after nine seasons in Bear Creek as an assistant for the Bears. He also coached at North Moore High School in Robbins.
The Durham Jordan graduate played football collegiately at Greensboro College and Scotten says he made a strong presentation when interviewing for the position.
“Coach Spencer went in very organized when he was interviewed and laid out a detailed plan of what he wants to do,” said Scotten. “He loves football, and was a very hard-working assistant for us this past season. I think he will do well and he certainly has my full support.”
Spencer will face the same problems Scotten has faced his entire tenure, including the major one: no middle school football for almost 45 years.
No place has it been felt more than Jordan-Matthews over the past five seasons as the numbers have increasingly dwindled to the point that there is high concern that the school may note even have enough players to field a team in the fall of 2019.
That, coupled with playing in an enlarged 2A classification, has made the going tough for the Jets, who have posted an 11-44 mark the past five years.
Still, Spencer has proven young, bright and energetic and seems determined to battle the odds.
“One thing is for sure. Sam is going to give it his all,” added Scotten. “He’s not going to back down of the challenge.”
Scotten, meanwhile, closes with 129 wins at the helm of his alma mater, where he played football and baseball before playing collegiate baseball at Guilford College.
The lifelong Siler City resident narrowly missed two state titles as a head coach, including an injury-plagued season when the locals suffered devastating injuries to the likes of Anthony Garner, Cody Hubenthal, Derek Brown and Cory Wilkerson before falling at West Montgomery after snapping Thomasville’s 51-game losing streak, and the Kasey Glover, Cliff Brooks, Ches Brooks squad that just missed the chance with a narrow loss down at East Bladen after a dropped TD pass and a fumble inside the 20.
“I’m proud of all the teams and kids that I’ve coached. I love Jordan-Matthews. It’s always been a part of my life it seems,” Scotten noted. “We had a fews teams that probably could have and should have won the state title or two but some injuries and a few bad breaks held us back. But we also were playing against some of the best 1A and 2A teams around in Albemarle, Thomasville, West Montgomery, Reidsville, Burlington Cummings, Graham, Eastern Randolph. I know those 1A teams for Albemarle and Thomasville alone won about nine of a decade of state titles at one point. Playing that great competition was what it was all about, and the kids, and seeing their success.”
Scotten is unsure whether he will coach again, but regardless, his blood will always run blue and gold. And he will always be a Jet through and through.