#HSFT18 Stop No. 21 — Myrtle Hawks

*District games

MYRTLE, Miss. (WCBI) — History being made in Myrtle.

“These kids are going to be able to experience Friday night football, and in my opinion, there’s nothing like it,” head coach Justin Hollis said.

For the first time ever, the Hawks will field a varsity football team for a complete season.

While Myrtle may be the newcomers, head coach Justin Hollis and the Redhawks aren’t shying away from the competition, scheduling nine games, including East Union in a jamboree

“We wanted to test our waters,” Hollis said, “I’ve always learned, for years, you always play up…you set the kid’s bar high, and that’s what prepares you for playoffs.

“We’re not just starting a program here to start a program. We start a program here and we want to compete for championships.”

For the players, there’s no way of hiding the excitement to become a part of Friday night football.

“It’s a blast,” sophomore center and defensive lineman Conner Coleman said, “to be honest, I was a bit nervous when I saw that jamboree, East Union…I hope we can have enough grit to push them out.”

While the team prepare with an all-business approach, counting down the days to putting on the pads for the first time, Hollis has embraced the journey that has the 2018 Myrtle Redhawks ready for the history books.

“To me, that’s what coaching is about,” Hollis said.

“Seeing these kids smile, seeing these kids have fun, affecting their lives in a positive manner. To get them to experience that when nobody, their fathers, grandfathers, whoever, you know, they’re living through them now. They’re getting to do something that they didn’t get to do, and that’s what’s fun to me.”

Myrtle begins its inaugural season at against Coldwater.