HobbsDailyReport.com
Freedom High has moved two of its graduates who are now coaching into new roles.
Juan Pedro will coach the Patriots’ varsity boys’ soccer team this coming school year, and Rob Scott has added assistant athletic director duties, Freedom athletic director Casey Rogers said.
Rogers confirmed the changes in an e-mail to HobbsDailyReport.com.
The Patriots will also have a new varsity wrestling head coach (Steve Leonhardt) and new girls’ varsity soccer head coach (Shaddoe Ross).
Both soccer head-coaching jobs and the assistant AD position became open when David Fletcher retired after the last school year.
Pedro will be a non-faculty head coach. He played soccer at Freedom for Fletcher and has also coached recreation and club teams in Burke County.
Scott has been at Freedom, his alma mater, for nine years. He had been golf head coach and assisted Rogers in boys’ varsity basketball.
Leonhardt, also a non-faculty coach, was a wrestling assistant coach the past two seasons for Mark Jackson.
The Patriots had their first state individual wrestling champion in 32 years last season, when sophomore Clay Beach (27-9) won the 3A title at 106 pounds.
Ross coached the Burns varsity girls’ soccer team last season as it went 5-11-1 overall and 4-11-1 in the South Mountain Athletic 2A-3A to finish seventh in a nine-team league.
Freedom remains in the Northwestern 3A-4A this year but the league was revamped by North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) realignment. The other league teams are Alexander Central, Hickory, St. Stephens, Watauga and West Caldwell – all 3A schools, as is Freedom – and the 4As are McDowell and South Caldwell.
Burkhalter to guide Cavs: Tommy Burkhalter, an assistant coach in softball at East Burke, will be the Cavs’ head coach this season.
East Burke athletic director Jim Childers said via e-mail Burkhalter will replace Crystal Barlett. She is taking a break from coaching two sports (she will continue as the girls’ varsity basketball head coach).
Burkhalter will be a non-faculty coach, working with a softball team that went 31-33 over the past four seasons.
The Cavs went 13-8 last season, including 10-6 in the SMAC 2A-3A, to tie Draughn for third place behind R-S Central (15-1) and Crest (11-5) in a nine-team conference.
West Stokes eliminated East Burke in the state 2A playoffs last season, winning 6-5 in the opening round.
Barlett, a 1996 East Burke graduate, coached the girls’ softball team for 10 seasons, and her two Cavs girls’ basketball teams are a collective 48-14.
Due to statewide realignment, East Burke is moving into a new athletic conference this season – the Northwestern Foothills 2A. Other schools in the 2A conference are Bunker Hill, Draughn, Fred T. Foard, Hibriten, Patton and West Iredell.