Busy summer for Hawks

Sylvester Kilgore puts a lot of emphasis on summer basketball.

“As I was told by my college coach (Rodney Stennis, Rust College), `Summer is when you make a ball player.’ That’s why summer basketball is so important,” Kilgore said. “You can’t teach experience; you have to go out there and get it.”

His Holly Springs High School Hawks crank up a busy four weeks in the gymnasium next week, including summer practices and a full slate of practice games. They will play various opponents at several summer league sites, including trips to Pontotoc, Lake Cormorant, Potts Camp, New Albany, Olive Branch and Grenada. Summer play wraps up June 25.

Last season, the Hawks were eliminated in the opening round of the Class 3A playoffs and finished 13-15 overall.

Top returnees include rising senior Derwin Hamer and four rising sophomores, Jeremiah Dowdy, Dawan Malone Jr., Jatavion Pegues and Christian Wells.

Hamer was the Sixth Man of the Year honoree for the Hawks. Dowdy is the reigning Region 2-3A Defensive Player of the Year, an All-District selection and member of the 23A All-Tournament Team. He led the team in rebounding and claimed the Rookie of the Year Award. Malone was an All-District selection, had the best free-throw percentage on the squad and claimed an Iron Man Award for starting all 28 games. Pegues, who played in all 28 games, was an Iron Man Award recipient, too. Wells also gained valuable playing experience in 2025-26.

The tentative summer roster features 20 players. Kilgore emphasized his Hawks must make the grades in the classroom in order to participate.

He listed necessary areas of improvement as grades, character and behavior on and off the court, basic basketball fundamentals, basketball IQ and competitive nature.

He has high expectations for his 2026-27 team.

“I am very excited about this summer and our new team of Hawks,” Kilgore said.