WS Chronicle

The Carver Yellowjackets has a new men’s head basketball coach. After opening up the job, the school did not have to look far for their selection. Johnathan Stowe, the former Carver boys JV basketball coach, will take over the head coaching duties for the varsity team next season.

Stowe will take over for Wil Perry, who took over as head coach for Southern Guilford High School. Stowe also assisted with the varsity team while leading the JV and freshman squads the last three years, so his transition should be a seamless process.

There was hesitation to apply for the position initially because he has never been a head coach on the varsity level previously, he said. After contemplating his options, he decided to throw his hat into the ring and was selected as the man for the job.

“At first I was uneasy applying, but then I started thinking about the kids and the foundation we laid last year,” said Stowe. “Last year we made the playoffs for the first time in like five years and I thought about the kids that were returning and I helped develop those kids since they were freshman, so I might as well give it a shot.”

Having the advantage of knowing his players instead of having to build new relationships is a big advantage, said Stowe. He feels Carver is a “special place” and strives to continue what they have been building the last few years.

“I know how to set up relationships with the students and our athletes so they can be the best they can be,” he said. “I just felt like I would be the best man for the job.”

Stowe gave a lot of credit to the foundation that coach Perry laid while at Carver. He says going forward, he wants to stress the importance of defense to his players.

“I want us to compete more on the defensive end, kind of like those Kentucky teams in the 90s with Rick Pitino, or those Arkansas teams under Nolan Richardson. I want teams to know they are in a dogfight when they play us.”

Offensively, Stowe wants to speed up the game so his team can obtain more possessions. He felt they played too slow at times in the past.  

Stowe was elated to find out he had been selected as the new coach. He said there were candidates with more experience than him, so he was unsure if they would select him.

“I was excited and elated when I heard the news,” he continued. “I knew with me being at Carver and helping to build the program, I knew I had a chance, but I didn’t know which direction they would go.

“I was just ready to hit the ground running, because once they told me, I was ready to go. We have already started reaching out to parents, fundraising, and just had our first week of summer workouts.”

According to Stowe, the players were excited that he was selected as the new head coach. Stowe knows that some players have trouble adjusting to a new regime, so having him take over makes that process somewhat easier.

Over the past three seasons, Stowe has learned a lot from former head coach Wil Perry. Stowe stated that Perry saw his potential for being a head coach even before he did.

“Coach Perry really prepared me for all of this,” Stowe said. “A lot of the things he taught me these last three years were things I would have to use or implement in the program. Everything he taught me has been very helpful in these early days.”

The goal for the Yellowjackets this season is to finish .500 or above, Stowe said. They made the playoffs last season with a losing record of 11-17, so they want to build upon that. 

Wins and losses are not the only focus for Stowe and his staff. Making sure all of his players graduate is goal number one. Stowe is very proud that since he has been at Carver, all of the players he has coached have graduated.  

Stowe knows that Forsyth County is a school of choice county, so his goal is to make sure he keeps the “neighborhood kids” coming to his program. With four All-Conference performers returning, Stowe is excited about the upcoming season.