#HSFT16: Stop No. 21 – Central Academy Vikings

MACON, Miss. (WCBI Sports) – Central Academy will have a low number of total players once more this season, but the Vikings say they’re excited about what they bring back for this upcoming season.

Michael Dawkins returns for his second season as head coach.

“Our strength is our heart,” Dawkins said. “These kids have heart like you wouldn’t believe. There’s no negativity. They pick each other up.”

Dawkins has been coaching various sports at Central for the past decade. He says his team loses a lot at key positions, but has six starters returning. The Central Academy alum says his Vikings are ready to improve on their two wins from a season ago.

“No starters returning (last year),” he said. “Everyone that we had was at a brand-new position. You could tell the first four games and then we hit our stride at the end.”

Central Academy is feeling good about what could be in store this year.

“I’m foaming at the mouth,” Dawkins said. “We have some tough games and then I think we’ll be very competitive in our conference.”

“I think we can do a lot better than we did last year,” Preston Dawkins said. He’s Michael’s son, one of two Dawkins brothers that are seniors on this team.

“We’re a little short handed but I think we can get it done,” senior Jerry Long said.

“Last year we didn’t do all that good. This year we’re hoping to get to the playoffs,” junior Joel Riddell said.

The guys say they’re extremely close. Dawkins has coached all of them since around age seven.

“He’ll crack you up,” Riddell said of Dawkins. “You can have some fun with him. He’s a serious coach and he knows what he’s doing, but he knows how to have a little fun too.”

One interesting note is that three of the 11 kids on this team are sons of coaches.