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Sessoms steps down at North Stokes

Thunder_struck8712

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Oct 5, 2016
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Big loss for North. Happy to see Frank will have a chance to be part of a winning culture though.

 
As it did ounce, this could end North Stokes football. That is for this late in the year, is there an assistant coach there that can and will take over is questionable. Seems too late for a new coach with only 6 Fridays till the first football game. I know they have been in the NWC since the 1960s and were good competition at times and managed to beat Mount Airy only once in all those years but I can't see them competing any longer. I can say I do wish them luck or it could give South Stokes more players and some could end up at West Stokes.
 
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the head basketball coach was apart of his staff so he may do it until there’s a permanent HC in place…talk about timing!!

That's likely. He'll probably take over the AD role if anything if I had to guess. Might be a lot to take over if football is asked too but not many options at this point if I had to guess. They'll get applicants but will they be quality id the question.
 
Hmm.. the timing is curious here. If he just found the job then good for him but if he knew about ahead of time then wow. I doubt it though. I'm happy for him though.. he gets to be near his kids and go out with a winner. I always said if he had been in a winning program instead of being stubborn for the lows to build up he woulda been a top coach. He got a lot out of those kids in his first run at NS and Alleghany; heck the team I played my senior year woulda stunk under any other guy but he won 4-5 games with a lot of 10th graders. That was before Lippard came in.

Best thing for North Stokes is to hire from within just for the year.. I've seen schools hire this late but their program is so rocky it could kill it if they screw up. Their hire after Frank left the first time is what started their decline anyways.. that program was never right after 2010. They have a really good senior class but if those kids don't come out it will be super tough to make it through the year.

They could possibly go outside late as it is, as they had success with it once before. North Stokes did hire Kirk Martin in 1995 this late but that was freak luck because we hired a dud in Roy Carter instead of him and he was open. They won't have that kind of luck again.. they probably couldn't do a South Stokes and find a coach like Frazier either. He got hired in late July in 2010.

A wacky hire but it could work.. Coach Diamont's son maybe? He used to be North Stokes's middle school coach at one time. It would make North and South Stokes a fun matchup.
 
Hmm.. the timing is curious here. If he just found the job then good for him but if he knew about ahead of time then wow. I doubt it though. I'm happy for him though.. he gets to be near his kids and go out with a winner. I always said if he had been in a winning program instead of being stubborn for the lows to build up he woulda been a top coach. He got a lot out of those kids in his first run at NS and Alleghany; heck the team I played my senior year woulda stunk under any other guy but he won 4-5 games with a lot of 10th graders. That was before Lippard came in.

Best thing for North Stokes is to hire from within just for the year.. I've seen schools hire this late but their program is so rocky it could kill it if they screw up. Their hire after Frank left the first time is what started their decline anyways.. that program was never right after 2010. They have a really good senior class but if those kids don't come out it will be super tough to make it through the year.

They could possibly go outside late as it is, as they had success with it once before. North Stokes did hire Kirk Martin in 1995 this late but that was freak luck because we hired a dud in Roy Carter instead of him and he was open. They won't have that kind of luck again.. they probably couldn't do a South Stokes and find a coach like Frazier either. He got hired in late July in 2010.

A wacky hire but it could work.. Coach Diamont's son maybe? He used to be North Stokes's middle school coach at one time. It would make North and South Stokes a fun matchup.

I thought of Davey. I think he might be helping Dave at South now but not sure.
 
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Hmm.. the timing is curious here. If he just found the job then good for him but if he knew about ahead of time then wow. I doubt it though. I'm happy for him though.. he gets to be near his kids and go out with a winner. I always said if he had been in a winning program instead of being stubborn for the lows to build up he woulda been a top coach. He got a lot out of those kids in his first run at NS and Alleghany; heck the team I played my senior year woulda stunk under any other guy but he won 4-5 games with a lot of 10th graders. That was before Lippard came in.

Best thing for North Stokes is to hire from within just for the year.. I've seen schools hire this late but their program is so rocky it could kill it if they screw up. Their hire after Frank left the first time is what started their decline anyways.. that program was never right after 2010. They have a really good senior class but if those kids don't come out it will be super tough to make it through the year.

They could possibly go outside late as it is, as they had success with it once before. North Stokes did hire Kirk Martin in 1995 this late but that was freak luck because we hired a dud in Roy Carter instead of him and he was open. They won't have that kind of luck again.. they probably couldn't do a South Stokes and find a coach like Frazier either. He got hired in late July in 2010.

A wacky hire but it could work.. Coach Diamont's son maybe? He used to be North Stokes's middle school coach at one time. It would make North and South Stokes a fun matchup.
I also think Kirk took some key players with him didn’t he?

Also coach would only have about 3 assistants on the sideline with him. Not even sure he had headsets. For some reason, I felt most assistants were community coaches.
 
Yeah, this is weird timing. I talked to him about a month ago. I just didn't see him leaving North Stokes again unless it was to retire. I agree they should hire inside the system but not sure how it will work out. Whoever takes this job won't have their hands too full as expected with the new realignment, it could work out well for the Vikings. No outside candidate comes to my mind right away. Someone mentioned Kirk Martin. I know him personally and his brother Mitch. Good People.
 
Timing is weird but also it often takes time to get jobs lined up. He could have easily applied for that job in early June or sooner. Sometimes schools move slowly with hiring.
 
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I also think Kirk took some key players with him didn’t he?

Also coach would only have about 3 assistants on the sideline with him. Not even sure he had headsets. For some reason, I felt most assistants were community coaches.

He did.. Carter kicked quite a few kids off that 1995 team because he was being strict on stuff trying to impose his will. The main one was we had a linebacker by the last name of Gwynn . He quit because of all of the stuff Roy was on about, and he moved in with Kirk at North Stokes. He pretty much carried that team on his shoulders and played LB/FB. They went on to have a ton of success that year. After all of that the community turned their back on Carter and it got bad with the gates which is sad because we had an excellent senior group in 1995 but all that infighting ruined it. We ended up playing 3A teams with just 25/26 kids which was unusual and went 7-4.

Carter left with a week before the 1996 season out of spite and Kirk took over. All of that saga would have made for an amazing movie.
 
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Yeah, this is weird timing. I talked to him about a month ago. I just didn't see him leaving North Stokes again unless it was to retire. I agree they should hire inside the system but not sure how it will work out. Whoever takes this job won't have their hands too full as expected with the new realignment, it could work out well for the Vikings. No outside candidate comes to my mind right away. Someone mentioned Kirk Martin. I know him personally and his brother Mitch. Good People.

They are; Mitch was my head coach when I played JV. I would and still would run through a brick wall for that fella.
 
He did.. Carter kicked quite a few kids off that 1995 team because he was being strict on stuff trying to impose his will. The main one was we had a linebacker by the last name of Gwynn . He quit because of all of the stuff Roy was on about, and he moved in with Kirk at North Stokes. He pretty much carried that team on his shoulders and played LB/FB. They went on to have a ton of success that year. After all of that the community turned their back on Carter and it got bad with the gates which is sad because we had an excellent senior group in 1995 but all that infighting ruined it. We ended up playing 3A teams with just 25/26 kids which was unusual and went 7-4.

Carter left with a week before the 1996 season out of spite and Kirk took over. All of that saga would have made for an amazing movie.
Wasn't 1995 the only year North Stokes beat Mount Airy or it was sometime in the mid-1990s I'm thinking ?
 
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Wasn't 1995 the only year North Stokes beat Mount Airy or it was sometime in the mid-1990s I'm thinking ?

You are correct sir. They won in a thriller 20-16 over MA in Diamont's last year. MA was really young and North Stokes had more experience. North Stokes also won a playoff game. That was a HUGE year for them. Kirk deserved that 1A state coach of the year for what he did there. I always wondered what he coulda done there if he stayed long term. Sessoms gets all the attention for what he did but Martin really started it.

1995's quietly one of the more important transition years of the area itself; there were so many new HC's who were really good and those who just started. Kirk started at N Stokes, Kelly Holder started at Surry Central. Funderburke just started at Forbush and so did Adrian Snow at Surry Central. Scott Wood also started around then too. Insane to think about the levels of talent around then.

I'm sure we will experience another year like that soon. Happens every decade.
 
Hmm. They must not have had many to apply for it. Sounds like he decided to go for it on a spur of the moment deal. It happens a bit in small 1A; the coach at Chatham Central got that job the same way. Best of luck to Coach Fortner; he has a lot on him to overcome.

Then again they said the same about Frazier when he took over at South my senior year and he had a nice little run. Sometimes change works. He does have a solid 4 game string to get him some wins off the bat so he could come out super hot.
 
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Ahh so this is who Fortner is.. I knew of him but never knew his name. This is a good hire for North Stokes especially this late. What he did at Forbush middle school after how bad they were in 2013/14 was impressive. He built their numbers up and got to them to what they were in the spring. This is who a lot of people wanted to be Johnson's replacement over Funderburke. Honestly they shoulda did it. He probably will take that job once Fundy quits in a few years.

Very good chance he wins quite a few this year. North Stokes has a really competitive non conference slate to at least 3-4 wins with those seniors. Then conference wise they may snag another win or two if a team or two has a rough year.
 
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I'm so excited that this guy is at North Stokes for really one reason. Coach Fortner is a Special Teams guy. Special Teams is something that I take in high regard and is something that I just get excited about. Can't wait for the good things to come from him and from North Stokes.
 
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Ahh so this is who Fortner is.. I knew of him but never knew his name. This is a good hire for North Stokes especially this late. What he did at Forbush middle school after how bad they were in 2013/14 was impressive. He built their numbers up and got to them to what they were in the spring. This is who a lot of people wanted to be Johnson's replacement over Funderburke. Honestly they shoulda did it. He probably will take that job once Fundy quits in a few years.

Very good chance he wins quite a few this year. North Stokes has a really competitive non conference slate to at least 3-4 wins with those seniors. Then conference wise they may snag another win or two if a team or two has a rough year.
I tell you what Impressed me, not so much his football resume, which was good. It was his dedication to getting a degree while working a full time job and raising a family. I was a Sessoms fan and I certainly wish him success at N. Stokes.
 
I tell you what Impressed me, not so much his football resume, which was good. It was his dedication to getting a degree while working a full time job and raising a family. I was a Sessoms fan and I certainly wish him success at N. Stokes.

Same here! Same thing I'm going through now honestly. I got promoted to near full time night manager at my job doing all the stuff I love at North while trying to figure out how to get my Bachelor's done.

It's not easy! People look at me like I'm crazy but I got a goal in mind and I'm gonna do it. I related so much to him doing that minus the factory job. Retail's the modern factory in that regard.
 
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I am happy for North Stokes that they can continue with a football team. It is hard on a small school like NS way out of the way to get to with some people not wanting to make that long trip. It is probably 30 plus minutes from Mount Airy and Elkin, East Wilkes, and Allagihany is around 1-hour plus. Good luck to North Stokes and all the new and long-time Northwest Conference teams.
only 3 weeks from tomorrow. Praying for a COVID-19 free 2021 - 2022 sports season and safe travel to all that makes a trip to all games this year!
 
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Same here! Same thing I'm going through now honestly. I got promoted to near full time night manager at my job doing all the stuff I love at North while trying to figure out how to get my Bachelor's done.

It's not easy! People look at me like I'm crazy but I got a goal in mind and I'm gonna do it. I related so much to him doing that minus the factory job. Retail's the modern factory in that regard.
Get that degree, especially while you are still young. Don’t be an old guy wishing you had! I know it is extremely hard.
 
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