By Miles Layton

ELIZABETH CITY — The eleventh annual Northeast North Carolina High School Football Media Day filled a room at Elizabeth City State University on Wednesday with coaches, players and cameras, all counting down to the 2026-27 season. Program director Clay Mercer of WRVS 89.9 FM, joined by co-host Jarvis Riddick, welcomed teams from across the region to the stage one by one. But few moments captured the spirit of small-town football quite like the appearance of Coach Bobby Hoggard and the Aces of John A. Holmes High School in Edenton.

Before we get to the story, due to the wet weather forecast for Friday night lights, JAHHS will be playing the Aces’ season opener at 7 p.m. Thursday at home against Pasquotank. Worth noting, the Albemarle Observer will be covering that game.

Back to our story: Hoggard’s team is coming off an 8-5 season and a perfect 5-0 mark in conference play, and this marked his 11th trip to the media day podium. Mercer noted that Hoggard always jokes about whether he’ll make it back for another year. Hoggard’s answer, as it has been for over a decade, came down to one word.

“The word that comes to mind off the bat is love,” Hoggard said. “I love our kids. I love the game of football. I love the people that play it, coach it, and so I guess that’s why, as old as I am, I keep coming back for the love of the kids in the game.”

That love has carried Hoggard through a 40-year coaching career, the last dozen of which have been spent back home in northeastern North Carolina. A Bertie County native, Hoggard spent 30 years away before returning to the region — a homecoming he still treasures.

“I was raised in Bertie County,” he said. “And I was gone for 30 years and came back home, and that was pretty special to get back on the Albemarle Sound.” He added that both of his sons played quarterback for him over the years in Edenton — a rare and rewarding experience for a coach. “I am glad I wasn’t their position coach,” he joked, “and they probably are too.”

A Season of Turnovers — and Turnaround

Last season didn’t start the way Edenton wanted. The Aces opened 0-4, a stretch Hoggard called difficult even though his team faced quality competition. The bigger issue was ball security.

“For something new out of my forty year career, we turned the ball over twenty seven times,” Hoggard said of that four-game skid. “And you can’t beat Salvation Army turning it over twenty seven times.” Edenton cleaned things up as the year progressed, eventually closing the season on a winning streak that carried them to a conference title and two road playoff games.

Still, the Aces played a great game, a double OT win, 34-28, against North Duplin. Man, that was a good game — based on that, it will probably be a good season ahead, a lot of returning starters and such. And there’s this — Hoggard is coming up on a career milestone with wins — 99 to date since coaching the Aces starting in 2015 — as of this moment, tying Coach Jay Swicegood to capture the top spot for all-time wins. Click here for that all that. For the stats folks, Hoggard has 206 wins over his long career, including many conference titles, state championship games and a state title.

Off the field, the program navigated a major transition. A new school building opened in January, though renovations were still ongoing. Hoggard credited the administration for shielding the athletic program from major disruption.

“Our administration did an outstanding job as far as all our kids’ academic classes were across the street, while the new school was being built,” he said. “Really for us athletic wise, the gym and the weight room and fieldhouse and all that stuff stayed intact.” The one exception, he noted, was the old gym, which the Aces lost once the new one was completed. “It was harder for the kids having to get from one place to the other, but our administration did a wonderful job of making that happen.”

Aces Pride, On and Off the Field

Three Edenton players joined Hoggard on stage: Josiah Soto, DJ Sutton and Mason Byrum. Each spoke to what it means to represent the Aces. For Barrow, the pride of the program was on full display during last year’s playoff run.

“We had two away playoff games last year,” Barrow said. “And just seeing the crowd that we brought up, there was just special to me.”

Soto reflected on the mentorship he’s received from his coaches, crediting Hoggard directly for keeping him on track during moments of doubt.

“There were so many times where I just wanted to give up,” Soto said, “but this guy right here, he kept me where I am supposed to be. So that’s why I am grateful for it.”

Sutton, one of Edenton’s productive running backs, pointed to the offensive line and receivers who block downfield as the foundation of the Aces’ offensive success. “I think the blocking was very good,” he said. “They block the right people, you know, hit the hole, make sure I get to the touchdown.”

A Town School With Deep Roots

When asked about what makes Edenton special, Hoggard didn’t talk scheme or personnel — he talked about identity. John A. Holmes High School, he pointed out, was built in the early 1950s and has remained in the same place, in the same town, ever since.

“There is not many town schools left,” Hoggard said. “Our community has pride, not just in football, but just whatever was going on at the school, because it’s right in the middle of town.” He added that fewer and fewer towns can say the same thing their high school has stayed rooted in one place for generations. “Used to be way back, every town had its own high school,” he said. “Edenton has been able to hold on to that identity.”

Hoggard did have one request for Aces fans heading into the fall: show up on time. “One thing that I would challenge our fans to do is get there on time,” he said. “They come about midway through the first quarter, and once they get there, they’re ready.” Still, he made clear the community’s support means everything to the program, showing up for warmups and cheering the team on through Friday nights on the Albemarle Sound.

The Aces open the 2026 season THURSDAY on the road against the Panthers of Pasquotank County. With a conference title, a deep playoff run and a coach still driven by the same love that brought him home more than a decade ago, Edenton enters the fall with expectations to match its pride — and a fan base ready to pack the stands on Friday nights, as long as they arrive on time.