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Jones Senior High School’s decision to drop to 8-man football this fall left the rest of its Coastal Plains Conference opponents scrambling to fill the sudden opening on the schedule.

Southside has filled the gap with American Leadership Academy, a charter school from Clayton N.C. in Johnston County.
The Patriots will field a varsity team for the first time this fall after the two seasons as a junior varsity squad and will visit Southside for Homecoming October 4.

“It’s huge for us to fill the date in Week 7,” coach Jeff Carrow said. “Jones dropping to 8-man left us all in the lurch because it’s so hard to find opponents. We had to have the game at our place so we wouldn’t lose the gate revenue and it gives us a full 11 game season.”

Seahawks athletic director Andrea Quinerly and Carrow posted the opening on social media and online and received a call from the Patriots last month.

“We were talking about playing North Duplin (also the season-opening opponent (twice, but neither of us really wanted to do that,” Carrow said. “It’s tough because this is the second year of two year agreements between schools, so it’s very difficult to find a program that isn’t already locked in. I’m very happy that it worked out for our seniors because now they won’t have to have Homecoming and Senior Night at the same time.”

Northside, also a CPC member, has not yet found a replacement for Jones Senior High on its schedule.