Spell, Vega earn state honors

Two Sampson County coaches have added exclamation points to their seasons, bringing home state accolades as Coach of the Year for their respective conferences.

Hobbton’s Christian Vega and Clinton’s Brad Spell were the recipients of the North Carolina Soccer Coaches Association Coach of the Year awards for the 1A and 2A divisions, respectively, this year.

This caps a state championship run in soccer from both the Hobbton Wildcats and the Clinton Dark Horses — with Hobbton falling short and Clinton ultimately winning — withg the teams bringing home various plaques and trophies, and at the final award ceremony of the season, Vega and Spell brought one more piece of hardware home with them.

The NCSCA awards a coach from each public school division in the state — four total — these coveted awards at their banquet that culminates the season. This year, Sampson County is home to two of those awards, totalling half of the plaques given out earlier this month.

The Wildcats finished with a 23-6-1 record after falling in the state championship to Mount Airy, 4-3, on Nov. 23. They were a perfect 10-0 in Carolina 1A Conference play. The Dark Horses moved to 28-2 after their state championship win against Southwestern Randolph on Nov. 22, and they were also unbeaten in their conference, the SAC-6, going 8-0.

While they had similar records on the pitch, the two teams also found a path to success in similar fashion — holding their opponents to little scoring opportunities, while opening passing and shooting lanes themselves. The Wildcats outscored their opponents 158-47 this year, while the Dark Horses scored 138 goals with just 14 scored against them.

Both teams also had lengthy win streaks — before the state title game, Hobbton had won 17 straight. Clinton ended its season with 11 consecutive wins. There are a lot of similarities in the two Sampson County programs, even down to their past success. Both teams were looking to get redemption in the state championship game this year — Hobbton, from last year’s state championship loss, and Clinton, from two years ago, when they lost their state championship bout on penalty kicks. They even had multiple players win All-State awards this season — Holden Spell, Griffin Williams, and Oskar Adasiak for Clinton and Henry Jorge-Garcia and Ever Reyes for Hobbton.

But, while there are plenty of similarities, there are differences, too. One of the biggest differences between the two teams is the coach.

Vega, a Hobbton alum, took the reins for the Wildcats this year, after previous coach Jonathan Jacobs departed to join Clinton’s coaching staff under Spell. This isn’t his first stint as a head coach, though. Vega previously coached at J.F. Webb High School in Oxford, where he said the two seasons he spent there were “way different” than his time at Hobbton. His focus there was to “build a program” rather than maintain a successful one like Hobbton’s.

“We’re glad Coach Vega joined us,” said Hobbton’s athletic director, Jason Fussell. “He played soccer here, and actually our former coach — Coach Jacobs — he was kind enough to assist in that process (of hiring Vega).”

Fussell noted that the search for Jacobs’ replacement was between two candidates, but Vega “had good experience.”

“He played here, so naturally, if he could move back here, you know, we wanted him here. And luckily, things fell in place,” the athletic director continued.

While there has been praise for the Wildcats as a whole, Fussell made sure Vega got his time in the spotlight.

“We’re happy for Coach Vega, and also for the school,” he continued. “There’s not many instances you can see a first-year head coach winning a Coach of the Year — for the county or the conference, maybe, but not the overall state — so that is a rare occurrence to have happen. We’re very proud of him.”

Vega was stunned when he learned the news.

“I found out the next day after the (state championship) game,” Vega said. “I was watching TV and then my phone buzzed with an email. I just looked at it and it said something about soccer, so I didn’t pay any mind to it. I put it down and I was like, ‘wait, did I just read Coach of the Year?’”

The ever-humble Vega recognized his team for their efforts on the field before taking any credit himself. “I’m incredibly honored and grateful for the recognition. It’s a good testament of how hard the team worked this season,” he acknowledged.

A unique approach to coaching, he said, is the catalyst for him having success in his first year.

“Just being young, wanting it, being hungry for it as a coach,” said Vega, highlighting the keys to his success. “I played, and I won a lot of trophies as a player, and now I want to do that as a coach. And I bring that to the team; I bring that mindset.”

“I feel like I’m a player,” Vega said, laughing. “But I’m not a player; I’m just coaching the game. But being on the sideline makes me want to push and push more and more for the kids to give them a better opportunity.”

For Clinton, it’s a different story: Spell just finished his 26th year coaching, has been to multiple regional finals and state championship games, and now serves as the athletic director for the Dark Horses alongside his coaching duties. His signature look, consisting of cargo shorts and knee-high socks, is all but embedded in the history of Clinton, a history he is well on his way to sealing when he inevitably hangs up his whistle, cleats, and the reins to his soccer program that he has built.

Along the journey, not only has Spell won two state championships with his team, but he’s also coached two state championship teams with his sons — Walker and Holden — on a team While Walker was a member of the 2022 team that fell short in the state championship, Holden was there to avenge his older brother. Spell has a total of three children, with the boys being joined by a sister, and when Holden graduates next spring, all three will have graduated as Dark Horses.

This season marks the third time the Dark Horse coach has won the top coaching honor. He received it in 2015 and 2018 as well.

“It’s a combination of a lot of things,” Spell said, talking about what has made him so successful. “I’m definitely blessed to have a great staff. I always have been since I started coaching here. The kids are coming through the pipeline now with a great travel program. That has made a huge difference. The kids, year-in and year-out, make me look good.”

His honors in 2018 didn’t stop at the state level. That year, after winning his first state championship, the 1993 Clinton High School graduate received a National Coach of the Year award for the Boys’ Small School division in Chicago, Ill., alongside other awards for the state, region, conference, and county.

“Every once in a while that pops up,” he said, with a bit of laughter, as he reminisced about the prestigious award. “I tell myself how blessed I’ve been, but nothing can come about without the Lord above.”

He elaborated further on how that trip was, but continued to give his praises to others for helping him win such an award.

“I got to take my wife up to Chicago,” he said. “We spent time together up there and receive the award. I wanted to think about it as a ‘me’ award, but it’s not a ‘me’ award. It takes everyone to win that.”

Those who know Spell praise him.

“Coach Spell has brought a lot of accountability and integrity to the soccer program,” stressed Clinton City Board of Education member Oscar Rodriguez. “He believes in building the program. He has worked with our talent in Sampson County and taken them to the next level, even after tough losses. He came in poised and ready to take them back to a high level. This year was a demonstration of that. The players and coaches were united in their goal of winning a state championship, which is a testament to Coach Spell.”

Spell not only won the NCSCA Coach of the Year for the 2A division this season, but he was also inducted into their “Field of Honor,” which is their version of a hall of fame. The coaches who are inducted are done so “based on their success on the field and their service in promoting high school soccer at a state, region, and national level,” according to the NCSCA website.

“It’s a great honor to have him in Clinton City Schools,” Rodriguez continued. “To have him on our staff, in our athletic department, and as our athletic director. He really emphasizes classwork just as much as he emphasizes athletics.”