By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

GULFPORT — Harrison Central is suddenly in search of a new head football coach.
Second-year Red Rebels leader Tony Myers stepped down effective immediately Monday night. He announced that he was leaving Harrison Central in order to move back to the Hattiesburg area.
Myers led the program for two years but was on the staff as the offensive coordinator since 2018. He was elevated to the top job to replace Casey Cain, who spent seven seasons in that seat before leaving.
The Red Rebels finished 6-6 overall last season and qualified for the first-ever Class 7A South State playoffs. Myers led the squad to a winning 6-5 regular season and a fourth-place finish in Region 4-7A before falling on the road in the opening round of the postseason 41-14 to powerful Brandon.
Myers replaced Casey Cain, who led Harrison Central for seven years. Ironically enough, Cain also left that post to return to the Pine Belt.

Before coming to Lyman, Myers was the co-defensive coordinator and ninth grade football head coach at Oak Grove. His experience leading a team and coaching both sides of the ball helped land him land the spot as head coach at HCHS.
One of Myers’ biggest highlights in his two seasons at the helm of Harrison Central was his debut against that perennial state power Oak Grove squad in the 2022 Port City Bowl at historic Milner Stadium in Gulfport.
The Red Rebels took a fourth-quarter lead over the Warriors before falling in a close contest 18-15 in the season-opener for both squads.

Red Rebels eventual All-Star quarterback Christian Turner had Oak Grove on the ropes in the game, when he tossed a 30-yard scoring strike to Des Smith in the third quarter to give HCHS its first lead of the game after falling behind early.

But the highlights were few and far between the rest of that first season for Myers and Harrison Central, as they ended their final seaoson in Class 6A with.a 3-7 record and missing the state playoffs. The biggest win for the Red Rebels that season was a 44-31 road win over Pascagoula at War Memorial Stadium.

Last season, Harrison Central bounced back and won four straight games as well as five of its first six contests with only a loss to Meridian thrown in,

However, after a 17-13 win over St. Martin to open Region 4-7A play, the Red Rebels managed just one more win in their final five games.