HSFT Stop #7: Myrtle
Myrtle, Miss. (WCBI)- Myrtle just hired Luke Conlee to be the program’s next head football coach and the Hawks believe he is the man to put them back on track.
“I believe in Myrtle and I believe in these kids,” Conlee said. “I think the confidence that I have is in these kids and the community.”
Conlee is only 25 and is Myrtle’s third head football coach in the last three seasons. While he’s young, his message and vision have the community confident that he can turn things around for a program that has struggled the past few years.
“You have to believe you can achieve it,” Conlee said. “You need to give a good message to these kids and make them believe they can do it. What happens is kids get used to losing and I am a winner. The guys on my staff are winners and we will instill that into our kids. We’re here to win and give it everything we’ve got.”
Conlee was a student assistant for Oxford high school in 2020 before spending the last two seasons as an assistant at Myrtle. During that time, he created a bond with the players that gave them confidence he’s the man for the job.
“He was always one of our best friends. He’d always talk to us and is a role model,” senior wide receiver and linebacker Joe Kizer said. “He knows just about everything about football and if he doesn’t, he’ll do everything that he can to figure it out. He thinks of all of us as his sons. He loves us and we all know that and appreciate everything he’s done.”
“He has set standards and makes sure we’re doing what we need to be the best person that we can be on and off the field,” senior running back Kelston Boyd said.
The Hawks are jumping down from 2A to 1A this season, and there are high expectations for freshman QB Jace Gibson who played under center for a few games as an eighth grader in 2022. But there are more reasons why this team is confident heading into the season.
“We have a bunch of young kids coming up with a lot of talent and the senior group now has been playing together since seventh grade,” Kizer said. “We have the talent to turn it around and with the new roster coming up I think it’ll be a successful season”
Myrtle’s season begins August 25th with a home matchup against Strayhorn.
