Staff Reports

EAST BEND — Jack Moss is back at Forbush High School as a math teacher, but he will not be the school’s head baseball coach this spring.

Jerome Cannon, who has been an assistant baseball coach with the Falcons the past few years, has been named the program’s new head coach, athletic director Anthony Davis said this week.

Moss was suspended from his teaching and coaching duties in late October while Yadkin County school officials investigated an alleged assault involving Moss and a Forbush student during a football practice. Moss had been an assistant football coach at the time.

Yadkin County school officials repeatedly declined detailed comment on the issue. The Ripple learned this week that Yadkin schools superintendent Jim Benfield has met face-to-face with Forbush baseball parents about the decision to reinstate Moss to his math teaching duties for the second semester but not to bring him back as head baseball coach.

Moss coached the Falcons baseball program for more than a decade. The program was a perennial conference championship contender under Moss and advanced to the 2A state championship series in 2006, losing a best-of-three set against North Lenoir.

Several Forbush baseball players have gone on to play at the collegiate level during Moss’ tenure.