Ayden-Grifton coach Paul Cornwell was named Carolina Panthers High School Coach of the Week in October after the Chargers bounced back from a 0-6 start with a 28-27 comeback-win over Greene Central.
It was the first game of conference play, and AG went on to sweep the Eastern Carolina 2A.
Cornwell joined this year’s class with nine other coaches from North and South Carolina and was recently notified of the accomplishment during a school pep rally. The COW award winners receive a $1,000 donation from Carolina Panthers Charities, according to the Panthers’ website.
Cornwell was also nominated for Carolina Panthers High School Coach of the Year, which he noted would be based on the Chargers’ “community involvement with service projects we perform each spring and our off-season leadership program.”
All winning coaches from this season will get a personalized game ball in an on-field ceremony during the Panthers versus New York Jets game on Dec. 15, where the Coach of the Year will be named. The winner receives an additional $2,000 for the school’s athletic department, according to the Panthers.com.
“I am not usually a pat-myself-on-the-back person,” Cornwell wrote in a note, “but this is a big deal for our program, school and community.”
High school athletic directors, principals and media members who cover high school football in North and South Carolina can visit Panthers.com to complete a nomination form for Coach of the Year; nominations are still open.
The Chargers finished 7-7 overall this season and advanced to the third round of NCHSAA 2A state playoffs before falling to Northeastern, 41-35.
