NEWPORT-When Caleb Slover stepped into his new role at the helm of the Cocke County High School Fighting Cocks football program last week, he inherited one of the most challenging jobs in East Tennessee.

With only one TSSAA Football Playoff berth in the past decade, Cocke County High School has a struggling program that is hungry for success.

Slover, who will be the fifth different head coach at the school since the 2005 campaign, knows that establishing that success will be a challenge.

However it is a challenge that he knows can be rewarding.

“I think it is a challenge, but with every challenge you can have success, happiness and excitement,” Slover said last Thursday. “The challenge part of it is, if you can come in and be fortunate to turn some things around, win some ball games and be consistent every week.”

For the full story, see the February 5th edition of the Newport Plain Talk.