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Myers working hard to keep Marlboro Academy at competitive level

By David Shelton

Staff Writer

Bennettsville – After spending 35 years as a college and AAAA high school coach in Scotland County, North Carolina, David Myers is finding life quite a bit different as the athletic director at Marlboro Academy.

However, the veteran coach says athletics is athletics and no matter the size of the school, his job is to give his athletes every opportunity to experience success.

“It’s obviously different from a AAAA school with a lot of athletes and a lot of resources but this is a great opportunity for me here,” said Myers. “I think it’s great that we can give these kids here a chance to participate in high school athletics. We have to be a little creative with some things that we do but I’ve learned a lot over the last year. What I know is that the kids here love to compete just like kids anywhere else.”

Myers has spent the summer out of his house after a small fire forced he and his family to vacate for the summer. While spending some time in the mountains of North Carolina, the athletic director has been trying to fill coaching vacancies and prepare for the upcoming school year.

Marlboro Academy will have a new girl’s tennis coach this fall as Mary English, a Marlboro Academy graduate, takes over the position.

Volleyball also has new leadership this fall as Julie Calhoun becomes the new varsity coach. Veteran coach Atley Jackson will continue to coach junior varsity volleyball.

Kevin Williams is the boy’s soccer coach, which is still a fall sport at Marlboro Academy. Chip Wells is the school’s golf coach and Jenna Kinard handles the cheerleading squads.

Another Marlboro Academy graduate is Pat Rogers, the varsity boy’s basketball coach. Chris Bullard is the junior varsity boy’s basketball coach.

Raymond Sides, another graduate of the school, is the baseball coach and Boyd McLaurin is the softball coach.

“We have good coaches here and a good crop of younger coaches who played here and went to school here. I think that’s important, especially at a small school like this,” said Myers.

Bennettsville?The most successful person in the history of Marlboro Academy soccer may be current head coach Kevin Williams. He had a solid career as a player and has continued his success as a coach.

Playing for the Dragons in sixth grade, the team finished state runner-up. Then as a sophomore he was a member of the first state championship team. Down 1-0 with 10 minutes remaining, Marlboro Academy scored three goals before time expired to earn the victory.

?It?s been so long ago that it?s hard to remember, but it was exciting. It was back and forth and then it looked like we were going to lose, but we had a gut check and came back and won. We put a lot of time into conditioning back then and that?s the same thing I preach now,? Williams said.

Williams went on to win another title in 1991 and finished runner-up once again in 1992. He came back to coach the team two years ago, guiding the Dragons to a 10-4-1 record before losing in the state semifinals to Greenwood Christian in double overtime. Although they didn?t win it all, he definitely changed the culture of the program.

?Whenever I took over they basically only had a recreational team. They had some coaches before that really didn?t know soccer or what to do. A .500 record would have been a good season for them. That first year I had to teach them how to win,? Williams said.

Last season the team broke through with their third state championship. The way they won was a familiar one for the head coach. Down 3-2 with two minutes left, the Dragons tied it up and sent the game into overtime. A minute into the extra time they scored the winning goal to cap off a 13-1 season.

?(Oakbrook Christian) had players that were probably more skilled than mine, but mine had the heart and determination to win the game. We had the conditioning to win the game just like we did in 1990 when we won the first one,? Williams said.

Next season Williams hopes to repeat once again. Marlboro Academy only lost three starters from last season but will face a difficult schedule in 2009.