Hunter Jenks named Clayton High head football coach

Starting with its run to the state 3AA championship game in 2009, South Johnston has become a consistent prep football playoff squad. Hunter Jenks was thrilled to be a part of the Trojan family. But when the opportunity to lead one of the Triangle area’s most successful and oldest high school football programs came along, he had to take it.

So Jenks is making the shift across Johnston County to become head coach at Clayton High School.

“Being a part of the tradition and history of Clayton High School football is just a fantastic opportunity,” Jenks said. “It’s something you just can’t pass up when it comes along.”

South Johnston went 13-12 under the Wake Forest High graduate who played at Elon University for the past two seasons, winning a share of the Two Rivers 3A Conference in 2014. The Trojans were 2-9 the season before Jenks’ promotion from coordinator to head coach.

“I certainly appreciate the interest that was expressed by outstanding coaches from across the state in the head football coaching position,” said incoming Clayton High principal Bennett Jones, himself a former high school football coach. “After a brief search, it was clearly apparent that Coach Hunter Jenks is the right person to lead the Clayton football program. Coach Jenks is an excellent young football coach who has a tremendous work ethic and passion for teaching and leading student-athletes.”

South Johnston advanced to the second round of the NCSHAA 3AA playoffs last year, going 8-5 before losing to Rocky Mount.

“It was really tough because you look at it and I’ve been right there with those guys for three years,” Jenks said of the South class of 2017. “They’re still my sons and I’m going to be right there to cheer them on and support them.”

He leaves a South Johnston roster with plenty of promise heading into the fall. The Trojans could return as many as three dozen lettermen, including multi-purpose offensive threat DeParis Patterson and quarterback Landen Lockamy and a slew of linemen in the class of 2017.

“The South Johnston community has been nothing but outstanding working with me and my family over the past few years,” Jenks said. “People like Jimmy Abdalla, Lee and Michelle Benson and Audrey Massengill who do so much behind the scenes, people like that have made Trojan football what it is today.”

The Comets will play one more season in the Greater Neuse River Conference in the 4A ranks, then shift to a 3A league with four other Johnston County schools and East Wake for the 2017 season.

“It doesn’t really change how you do things,” Jenks said. “The Two Rivers 3A has been home to some pretty good football the past few years and you look at its record against the Greater Neuse the last couple of years, the league held its own.”

Jenks, who lives in Clayton with his wife, Betsy, and daughters Ava and Claire, fills the position vacated by Randy Pinkowski who retired from coaching earlier this month. The Comets were 3-8 last season, going 2-5 in the Greater Neuse River 4A Conference. Clayton was 16-19 over the past three seasons under Pinkowski.

“There’s so much talent there and everybody’s so ready to get to work and playing winning football,” said Jenks, who met with the Comet team on Friday. “They’re ready to be a great football program. ...

“It’s everything you dream of as a coach. I’ve grown really close with the Fowler family (of former head coach Gary Fowler) and the Nixon family (of former head coach Glenn Nixon) and the pride they have in Clayton football is something that’s tough to find.”

David Nixon, a grandson of Glenn Nixon, the Comets’ coach from the 1960s through the 1980s, has been as assistant coach on Jenks’ staff at South Johnston for the past two seasons.

Jenks becomes just the sixth coach in the Comets’ six-plus decades of playing football, which includes two state titles (a six-man crown in 1952 and the 2A title in 1989).

A commitment to work in the classroom during Jenks’ South Johnston tenure has shown as well. The Trojans’ team GPA rose from 2.78 to 3.30 during his time as head coach.

“Coach Jenks has demonstrated the ability to establish positive relationships with students, faculty, fellow coaches, parents, and community members which will serve the Clayton football program well,” Jones said. “We look forward to supporting Coach Jenks, the coaches, and the players next season as they continue to build upon the traditions and history of the Clayton High School football program.”

This story was originally published April 22, 2016 at 5:34 PM with the headline "Hunter Jenks named Clayton High head football coach."