After a winless season, Lumberton football is ‘building the ship’ with a new captain
Dennis McFatten has spent time with state-championship winning programs and consistent conference championship contenders.
So why would McFatten leave those comforts as a high school football assistant coach to take over at a school that hasn’t posted a winning record since 2011?
Aside from the chance to be a first-time head coach, McFatten saw the opportunity to build his own program. Or, in his words, to “build the ship.” Those three words have become the mantra for Lumberton football ahead of its first season with McFatten.
“We want to build the ship from scratch,” said McFatten, who was hired in January after stops as an assistant coach at Clinton and Scotland.
“Anybody that’s willing to work, we want you on the ship. When you’re on the ship, you have to continue to work.”
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The Pirates have posted seven consecutive losing records, including 0-10 in 2022. They haven’t won more than two games since 2016 and haven’t logged a winning record since 2011.
But McFatten, a Catawba College graduate, says the talent is present to build a winning program at Robeson County’s largest school.
“Honestly, you’re talking about a school right now that houses 1,800 (students),” he said. “It's a gold mine, in my opinion.”
Upon arriving in Lumberton earlier this year, McFatten’s first goal was to roam the hallways and “bring out as many athletes as possible.” So far, three of Lumberton’s key players have noticed a positive difference, pointing to better structure with an increased focus on making the most of their time on the field and in the weight room.
Jacoby Pevia, a senior running back, said the main goal is to “change everything around and build from the bottom to get to the top.” Following the first spring practice with McFatten, Pevia recalls the emphasis on shifting the narrative.
“He’s emotional. He puts us all into it,” Pevia said of McFatten. “From the time Coach McFatten has gotten here, everything’s changing for the better. … Our work ethic and everybody starting to believe (is how we change).”
For senior quarterback Tra’Von Moore, the mission is “creating a foundation for years to come.”
McFatten, who served as Clinton’s defensive coordinator and assistant head coach for four of the last five seasons, reiterated that thought.
“We’re working from ground zero, just trying to build up a foundation to make sure that we have success in the continuing years,” he said.
“They want to win, I want to win. But I want to win the right way. I want to win in the classroom, outside of football. The community needs it. We want a winning mentality, not just on the football field, but in life.”
As the Pirates begin to “build the ship” and chase the likes of Seventy-First, the two-time reigning champion in the United 8 Conference, sophomore lineman Christopher Britt says it’s a journey that will take time.
“We just really gotta improve on every aspect of football,” Britt said. “The entire summer, we’ve been putting in work to get better. We’re building the ship and, next year, we’re planning to set sail.”
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: NCHSAA football: Lumberton football starts over with Dennis McFatten
