By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

LYMAN — Harrison Central has qualified for the state football playoffs three times over the past four seasons under two different head coaches.
Now, with their third head coach in the past four years the Red Rebels hope to keep that trend alive.
Long time HCHS assistant coach Nekemia Rich was elevated to the top spot earlier this year. Rich replaces Tony Myers at the helm of the Red Rebels, who stepped down after just two seasons in charge. He announced that he was leaving Harrison Central in order to move back to the Hattiesburg area.
Rich joined the Rebels football program in 2004.
“With the level of athletic talent being produced at HCHS year in and year out, I’m confident we can produce championship results in football,” Rich said. “I am extremely excited for the opportunity to lead Harrison Central High School’s football program,” 

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.
“I am familiar with the kids, I am familiar with the community and the culture,” Rich said, in a recent interview. “I have been here so long that I am a part of the culture and helped create the culture. It is important to not only coach, but to mentor student-athletes while developing the whole student. I am trying to prepare them for life also.”

Rich lost several key performers from last year’s squad, including quarterback Tri Gaughf who graduated but also in wide receiver Tryee Barnett and defensive back Tre’Von Deans who both transferred. Barnett headed to Hattiesburg High and Deans to Gulfport High.

But the Red Rebels get back linebackers Marlos Walker and Boone Wilson plus defensive back Josiah Vaughan as well as Jaden Eckford among others. Wilson led HCHS in total tackles with over 100 last year, while Eckford accounted for almost 800 yards of total offense and eight touchdowns out of the backfield. Walker registered right at 100 total tackles as well last year.
The Red Rebels compete in Region 4-7A with five other squads from the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Rich hopes his first HCHS squad will be one of the four in the league to qualify for the state playoffs again this season.

“There is nothing like a Friday night in the state of Mississippi,” Rich concluded. “Football is king. You kind of plan your day or your week around Friday night football. We just want to put a product on the field that is going to make our community proud, that will make our parents proud, that will make our school proud, and you know just make the whole HC culture proud.”