Hawks tune up for August 29 opener against Mantachie

Clifford Brown is looking for a combination of experience and youth to make the 2025 football season successful.

After the initial week of practice, the Holly Springs High School head coach said, “We need a lot of our young kids to get some reps and help make us better.”

The Hawks will be without star speedster Tray Kinkle, who is now in Tampa, Fla., participating in preseason practice with the University of South Florida Bulls.

“We have a lot of young kids who played last year,” Brown said, “and we have some promising prospects. We have only four or five seniors, so the roster will be made up of mostly juniors and other underclassmen.”

Half of the line is back, and Brown said the Hawks will look to run the football better this year.

“We are working on the quick game and getting out in space more,” he said. “We need to get our guys outside and push the ball down the field.”

A few of the key players for Holly Springs include center LeeAnthony Stephens, a four-year starter; Kyson Isom, a junior outside linebacker who will double up as a running back; quarterback Martravion Davis, who started last year as a freshman; and freshman wide receiver Taylen Gatewood, also a star on the track team.

The Hawks will kick off the season Friday, Aug. 29, at Mantachie. They will try to avenge a heart-breaking 29-28 loss to the Mustangs a season ago. The first home game will follow on Friday night, Sept. 5, when H.W. Byers visits Sam Coopwood Park. The remainder of non-district contests include September 12 at Walnut, September 19 at Memphis Southwind, September 26 at home versus rival Byhalia and October 10 at home against Pure Academy (Tenn.). Opponents in Region 2-3A are Independence, away, October 3; Coahoma County, home, October 24; and North Panola, home, October 30. October 17 is an open date for Holly Springs.