Clinton finds new coach

The Dark Horses have a new coach to takeover the prominent program that has wreaked havoc over the SAC-6 the past six years. Johnny Boykin, who was part of the 1990 state championship team will be looking to get Clinton back to the promised land under his tenure.

During his meeting with the team last Friday, the students filed in one by one and shook the new coach’s hand. The level of discipline he expects was seen earlier on when he corrected a student during the handshake. Boykin has been all over the east, from Western North Carolina to South Carolina, his football IQ has been tested.

“I’m not your boy, I’m your coach.” he said when the student went for an informal introduction.

Boykin was excited to walk the halls of Clinton once again and praised how nice they are today. Though it wasn’t the same building, he still felt that zeal of being a Dark Horse and was proud to take over. He described the feeling as surreal when asked what he thought about him taking the job as the coach.

“It’s almost like a dream and I haven’t woken up yet,” he said.

One of the hardest things for a coach to do is earn the trust and respect of his players. He describes himself as a players coach and is under no disillusionment that their is life after football. During the slide show presentation he had with them, under soft lighting, prominently displayed was two lifestyles he wanted to instill in the players: Life with football and life without football. He went on to tell them that there will be a day when you won’t play anymore and you need to be ready for what’s next. He spoke candidly and reminded them that some will go further into collegiate or even further but at the end of the day, that chapter will close.

The coach is under no stress taking over his alma mater’s football program and is looking to help mold these student athletes into respectable men of the community. Another prominent topic was getting the Dark Horses out in the town and volunteering, saying that the community comes to the games and pays to get in and he wants them to give back to the citizens that help support this proud program.

“Pressure is a privilege,” he stated “This is a privilege to be in this role, to lead these men. I’m just overwhelmed with joy and pleased that the Lord chose me to walk this path.”

Boykin said the biggest hurdle will be the timing as he is coming in late into the school year, this will limit his time with the team before the season. He acknowledged that there was a lot of work to do, taking over a program that had just made a state title run. He is in the midst of gathering a staff to aid in pulling the Horses back. With the loss of Cory Johnson came the loss of the entire football staff another hurdle for Boykin to overcome as he waits for June 1 to start training for the new season. He praised the team early and was proud to see them stick together despite losing their head coach a couple of months after their long season.

The self-described player’s coach is looking to do more than make the team more than just athletes. Boykin stated that believes in people and wants to focus on building the individual. He stated that this helps develop a level of maturity beginning with academics, then translating that into the weight room and onward in life.

“We do a really good job on loving on the kids first. This isn’t just about ball for us. Ball is a tool that we use to touch the lives of these young men.”

Boykin is excited to begin year and will have a long wait until June before he can begin. He was confident in the team he has currently and said he can guarantee that when the season begins they will hit the ground running. He gave no promises of their wins or losses but is confident in the long standing tradition of football excellence and spirit of the Dark Horses.

“I feel great about where we are. It’s Clinton. We’re gonna people that can play.”