By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

(Editor’s Note: This is the second of a five part series featuring the upcoming schedules facing the five new prep football head coaches in the “Southern Six” coming into a new season.

Up next; Harrison Central first-year head coach Chip Fortenberry)

LYMAN — Harrison Central is under the direction of its fifth head football coach in 12 seasons as a new campaign approaches.

The Red Rebels landed coveted Columbia defensive coordinator Chris Fortenberry as their new leader in January.

Fortenberry is fresh off of helping lead Columbia to an undefeated 15-0 season and a Class 4A state championship as the defensive coordinator for the Wildcats. He also served as the head coach at Richton from 2013-2015, where he led the Rebels to the Class 2A South State playoffs twice.

He has also served as an assistant at Sumrall High and Columbia Academy over the past decade.

Fortenberry replaces former HCHS head coach Nekemia Rich, who stepped down at the end of last season. The Red Rebels went just 1-9 last season under Rich, after going 2-8 his first season. Rich was 3-17 overall and went 1-9 in Region 4-7A play.

In his first year at the helm of the Red Rebels, Fortenberry and his troops will face a slightly different schedule than Rich did last season in what turned out to be his last in Lyman.

First off, HCHS only has three non-region games before league play starts instead of four this season. Fortenberry dropped a potential rematch with Class 2A state champion Heidelberg to add a home game against Class 6A Jackson Callaway.

That means that Fortenberry will face a pair of foes from the Capital City in his debut campaign, as for the second straight year, the Red Rebels will open the new season against Jackson Lanier.

After facing the Bulldogs, HCHS will head over the Hancock the next week before welcoming the new open date on the slate.

After a trip to Tylertown, followed by a trip to D’Iberville to open Region 4-7A play, the Red Rebels will host Callaway for their final non-region game of the season.

League encounters against West Harrison, Biloxi, Ocean Springs, St. Martin, Biloxi and Gulfport close out the regular season.

Harrison Central is looking to qualify for the state football playoffs for the first time in three years.