Midway High School found its next head football coach from inside the Sampson County line. Former Lakewood High head football coach Barrett Sloan was approved by the Sampson County Schools board of education on Monday evening.

Sloan had been the head coach at Lakewood since the 2018 season. The Leopards made the playoffs in five of his six seasons at the helm.

He is replacing Kyle Stevens, who left his post as Midway’s head coach to return to be the defensive coordinator at Holly Springs High School.

Sloan led Lakewood to a 10-3 overall record in 2023. The Leopards reached the third round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s 1A East playoffs, where they were shut out by West Columbus. His first season resulted in a 7-3 finish. Lakewood went 3-8 in Sloan’s second year and then 2-6 in the shortened spring 2021 pandemic season. Lakewood won five games in 2021 and 2022. Sloan’s overall coaching record at Lakewood was 32-33.

One of the three teams that Lakewood lost to in 2023 was Midway. The Raiders are coming off of a 7-4 overall record under Stevens. It is a bigger school than Lakewood. Midway plays in the Southeastern 2A Conference, while Lakewood competes in the Carolina 1A Conference.

Midway won a 1A state championship in 1978 and lost one in 1988. Midway last made a regional final in 2000.

Source: highschoolot.com