By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

KILN — Last season, the football team at Hancock high qualified for the state playoffs in back-to-back years for the first time in 34. years and for just the second time ever.
This year, the current crop of Hawks hopes to become the first squad in school history to make three straight trips to the postseason.
Hancock is coming off an 8-4 season last year. The Hawks exploded out of the gate with a 7-0 mark, before struggling a bit in Region 4-6A play and finishing fourth in the league standings with a 2-3 mark. An opening round trip in the Class 6A South State playoffs to SoSo to face eventual state champion West Jones resulted in a 48-20 loss that ended the season for the Hawks.
Hancock has a senior class comprised of 25 players heading into the upcoming campaign.

“This group of seniors has made the state playoffs the past two years, and they know consistency is the key,” Hawks head coach Neil Lollar said, in a recent interview. “They’re trying to do something this year that’s never been accomplished at Hanock High.
The Hawks lost their entire offensive backfield from last season, and that trio of quarterback Dylan Moran, tailback Zach Gullang and fullback Jeffery Hopgood was responsible for much of Hancock’s success in 2023.
“We lost some good football players, and we were very heavy on the offensive side as far as senior led.” Lollar, entering his eighth season at the helm of the Hawks, said. “We are going to miss those guys but we have some guys that I feel like are ready for the moment. We’ve got some guys coming back that have seen a lot of playing time for us.”
Lollar will turn to Kaison Koenenn to take over the offense after he saw brief action behind center last season. He spent time at the prestigious Manning Passing Academy over the Summer. Koenenn will look too wide out Kaleb Schafer for production, after Schafer was second in pass catches last season with 32 reception for over 600 yards and six scores.

“I am excited about seeing Kaison perform,” Lollar added. “He has done a good job of putting himself, and when I say putting himself in position to take over and lead this team, he has done everything we have asked. Not just from a playing standpoint but from a leadership standpoint as well.”
The leader for the Hawks on the other side of the ball is defensive end Aidan Taylor. As a junior, Taylor was a one-man wrecking crew off the edge for the Hawks when he registered 106 total tackles and led the “Southern Six” in tackles for loss with 35 and in sacks with 11.

Fellow senior Tyran Ramsey keeps things under control in the secondary.

On special. teams, the Hawks have a weapon as well in placekicker Sam Powell. Powell made 36 of 44 point after attempts last season and went 4-of-5 on field goals with a long of 37 yards.
Lollar has had the same staff together pretty much during his entire tenure with the Hawks.
“I’ve been very privileged to be here this long and to have kept this coaching staff intact,” Lollar concluded. “We’ve been very fortunate there and I’m very appreciative of that.”