Rebels go to work for new head coach

Summer basketball is not about the wins and the losses, said Jordan Thompson, new head coach of the Hickory Flat Rebels.

“It’s about practicing harder and playing harder,” he said. “Win or lose, in the summer, that’s what you are looking for.”

His team stayed busy in June, including games against Northpoint Christian School and Marshall Academy in the MA Summer League.

“I think we improved a lot, and I think the players were buying in and getting used to me and my style,” Thompson said.

Six players return after getting playing time last season. Just one of those is a senior. There will also be six freshmen on the squad.

Thompson is stepping up to lead the varsity boys after two years as head coach of the junior high girls and boys at Hickory Flat. Prior to that, he was an assistant varsity boys coach and head junior high boys coach at Pontotoc.

He is a 2013 graduate of Hickory Flat, attended Itawamba Community College and then graduated from Blue Mountain College (now Blue Mountain Christian University).

Thompson is looking forward to being the head coach at his alma mater.

“To be home and be the head coach, it’s really special,” he said. “I want to put a product on the court that our community can be proud of.”

The Rebels will compete in Class 1A-Region 2 during the 2025-2026 season. The district competition includes Ashland, Blue Mountain, H.W. Byers, Potts Camp and West Union.

“Those are some solid teams with a lot of good athletes,” Thompson said. “It will be a tough district.”