Young Hawks gain experience in summer

Playing time on the basketball court is crucial this summer for the Holly Springs Hawks.

“You can’t teach experience; you have to get out there and get it,” coach Sylvester Kilgore said after a June 4 match-up against Lake Cormorant. “That’s why we have so many games in the summer.”

His Hawks will be young in 2026-27. Top returnees include rising senior Derwin Hamer and four rising sophomores, Jeremiah Dowdy, Dawan Malone Jr., Jatavion Pegues and Christian Wells.

The 3A Hawks and the 6A Gators played two 16-minute halves at Lake Cormorant with the host team coming out on top, but it’s not all about the final scores in the summer match-ups.

“Overall, we played decent,” Kilgore said. “Our execution was inconsistent and at times non-existent. That was kind of frustrating, but I’m dealing with such a young team. We’re going to have those growing pains. That means somebody has to emerge as a leader, somebody who knows what to do when it gets hard to execute.”

He believes strong competition, both in the summer and in the regular season, makes a team better.

“Personally, I’ve always had the motto that we don’t care who we play, where we play or when we play, it’s basketball,” Kilgore said. “If you don’t like the result, do something about it on the court.

“You try to, but you can’t simulate games in practice. You learn a lot from your players when the lights come on and the popcorn is popping.”

The Hawks’ busy summer slate also includes games at Potts Camp, New Albany, Olive Branch, Pontotoc and Grenada versus various opponents. Summer league play wraps up on June 25.