Johnston County rivals share moving tribute to fallen coach

Cleveland and West Johnston High Schools, separated by just 4.3 miles, have an intense rivalry across all sports but put it aside for one play Friday night.

The two rival football teams, which met at West Johnston, agreed to pay tribute to Cleveland multisport coach John Jacobs, 49, who passed away Tuesday morning after battling cancer, in a unique way.

Instead of a traditional moment of silence, the schools did a “silent kickoff,” asking fans of both sides to stand and remain quiet from the referee’s go-ahead whistle until the play had ended, no matter what.

Both sides pulled it off.

Even in the stands, the only sounds heard were pads popping.

Jacobs, the school’s head varsity basketball coach, was also an assistant football coach. He began this year on the sideline even as his terminal condition worsened.

West Johnston also painted the initials “JJ” at the 50-yard line, along the Cleveland sideline. Smithfield-Selma, where Jacobs was an alumnus, also painted “JJ” on its field, as did Clayton High a week earlier when Cleveland – which has “JJ” painted at midfield – hosted the Rams.

This story was originally published October 31, 2017 at 10:04 AM with the headline "Johnston County rivals share moving tribute to fallen coach."