Dorman's Jake Morris pleased with second football staff

Roebuck – Jake Morris is hoping for better results in his second season as the football head

coach at his alma mater, Dorman High School.

Dorman, long one of the top programs in the state of South Carolina, went 3-8 last season,

losing to Byrnes in the first round of the AAAAA state playoffs.

           Morris has a new offensive coordinator in Rodney Mooney and a new quarterbacks coach in Ben Beck. Also, Andy Hallman is new to the st aff as a middle school head coach and a defensive analyst on Friday nights.

Morris believes he has a strong staff in place.

           “I know I’m biased, but I feel we have the best staff around,” Morris said. “Our coaches know the game and have many years of experience coaching at a variety of levels. I am most proud that our coaches love their players and coach them as if they were coaching their own kids.

" am honored to be a part of this staff and look forward to a great season with these men.”

Malcolm Boyd is the assistant head coach and works with the offensive line. Other offensive

coaches are Mark Dempsey, Drayton Queen, Daniel Wyatt, Jermaine Johnson, Charone Peake, Ivan Shelnutt, Charlie Sewell, B.J. Connolly, Josh Eskew and Myles Cannon.

The defensive coordinator is Wade Cooper. Helping Cooper on defense are Jeff Clark, Eric

Bomar, Ray McCallister, Clayton Worthy, Jo-Jo Hawkins, Walt Canty, Craig Cash, Bradon

Sarver, Andre Miller and Jordan Thompson.

           Like Morris, all of Dorman’s varsity head coaches are back this season. Included in that group is veteran volleyball head coach Paula Kirkland, who is now recognized nationally.

Kirkland was inducted into the National Federation of State High School Association’s

National High School Hall of Fame on July 1 in a ceremony in Boston.

Kirkland, a graduate of Dorman, has been the volleyball coach since 1980, winning 15 state

championships. She has a career record of 1,088-173-3. She ranks second in the state in career victories and is 11 th nationally.

Kirkland’s most recent championship team came this past fall as the Cavaliers captured the

AAAAA crown. She has led Dorman to the state championship match 18 times and has won 32 region titles along the way.

Kirkland is also a member of the South Carolina Coaches Hall of Fame, being inducted in

2004.

           Kirkland also coached the Dorman girls basketball team for eight years in the 1990s. She wasn’t too bad at that either, posting a 122-68 record and making one trip to the upper state championship game.