High School Football

Stephen Roberson returns to Midlands to coach another high school football program

Columbia Capitals players make their entrance in the rain before the game against the Eau Claire Shamrocks.
Columbia Capitals players make their entrance in the rain before the game against the Eau Claire Shamrocks. Jeff Blake Jeff Blake Photo

Stephen Roberson is returning to the Midlands as the new football coach at Columbia High.

Roberson replaces Jason Bush, who was fired in December. Bush has since joined the staff at Swansea High.

Roberson has been at Purnell Swett in southeast North Carolina for three seasons and went 4-17 with two of the years shortened because of COVID-19.

Before Purnell Swett, Roberson coached at South Robeson and Westover in NC and also at CA Johnson in Columbia from 2017-19.

At CA Johnson, Roberson led the Hornets to a 4-7 record in his final season. The four wins were their most since the 2013 season and helped lay the foundation which has continued with coaches Walt Wilson and Scotty Dean. The Hornets have had three straight winning seasons.

Columbia went 2-9 this season and made the playoffs for the second straight year. The Capitals lost in the first round to eventual state champion Abbeville.

Columbia hasn’t had a winning season since 2011 when the Capitals went 6-5. They had a successful run in the early to mid-2000s under Kemper Amick and made it to the state semifinals in 2007. Columbia won 10 games or more three times during that stretch.

SC High School Football openings

School — Former School — New Coach

  • Aiken — Olajuwon Paige — Dwayne Garrick

  • Airport — Andre Cook — TBA
  • Beaufort Academy — Mark Clifford — Nic Shuford
  • Barnwell — Dwayne Garrick — Brian Smith
  • Battery Creek — Terrance Ashe —TBA
  • Berea — Julius Prince — Drew Chisholm
  • Berkeley — Jerry Brown — Eric Lodge
  • Blythewood — Jason Seidel — TBA
  • Clover — Brian Lane — Perry Woolbright
  • Colleton County — Kris Howell — Adam Kinloch
  • Columbia — Jason Bush — Stephen Roberson
  • Conway — Carlton Terry — Josh Pierce
  • Darlington — Raymond Jennings — Jamie Johnson
  • Dillon Christian — Christian Wolfe — Donell Stanley

  • Dorman — Dustin Curtis — Jake Morris
  • Eau Claire — Shaq Hilton — Demarcus Simons
  • Edisto — Preston Deaver — TBA
  • First Baptist — Johnny Waters — Jamaal Birch

  • Georgetown — Jimmy Noonan — Bradley Adams

  • Great Falls — DeMarcus Simons — TBA
  • Green Sea Floyds — Joey Price — Patrick Martin
  • Hanahan — Art Craig — Milan Turner

  • Hannah-Pamplico — Jamie Johnson — Trey Woodberry
  • Heathwood Hall — Danny Lewis — Rick Reetz
  • Hillcrest — Anthony Frate — Bennett Swygert
  • John Paul II — Chris Myers — Shayne Milligan
  • Lamar — Josh Pierce — Stephen Burris
  • Landrum — Jason Farmer — Brent Bridges
  • Lexington — Perry Woolbright — Dustin Curtis
  • Mauldin — Sayre Nesmith — Andre Cook
  • May River — Rodney Summers — Richard Bonneville
  • Mullins — John Williams — TBA

  • Ninety-Six — Matthew Owings — Matthew Bennett
  • North Central — Ryan McDonnell (interim) — Daniel Sisk
  • North Charleston — Devon Smalls — TBA
  • Northwood Academy — Armando Allen — Johnny Waters
  • Orangeburg Prep — Andy Palmer — Don Shelley
  • Palmetto — Doug Shaw — Ryan Norton
  • Pickens — Chad Smith — James Reynolds
  • Pinewood Prep — J.W. Myers — DeVonte Holloman
  • Ridge-Spring Monetta — Brian Smith — TBA
  • Spring Valley — Robin Bacon — Nygel Pearson
  • Thomas Heyward — Nic Shuford — Tony McGeary

  • Walhalla — Padgett Johnson — Chris Stone
  • Ware Shoals — Chris Johnston — Chris Dodson
  • Westside — Scott Earley — Brian Lane
  • Williamsburg Academy — Don Shelley — Tyler Boyd
  • Woodmont — Jeff Murdock — Ty Sutherland
  • Woodruff — Bradley Adams — Brett Sloan
  • Wren — Jeff Tate — Anthony Frate

    • This story was originally published April 4, 2023 at 3:16 PM.

    Profile Image of Lou Bezjak
    Lou Bezjak
    The State
    (803) 771-8419
    Lou Bezjak is the High School Sports Prep Coordinator for The (Columbia) State and (Hilton Head) Island Packet. He previously worked at the Florence Morning News and had covered high school sports in South Carolina since 2002. Lou is a two-time South Carolina Sports Writer of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Support my work with a digital subscription
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