News 25’s 25 Teams in 25 Days: Harrison Central Red Rebels

GULFPORT, Miss. (WXXV) — Coaching matters for the Harrison Central Red Rebels, who are shaking up the staff in order to shake up the win-loss column.

“It’s all about your assistants which I kind of knew that,” said Harrison Central head football coach Tony Myers. “I’ve always known that. But to be in it live and to get the first hand feel of it, it takes all your coaches, so building the coaching staff was the number one priority for me.”

Myers heads into his second season as head coach at Harrison Central (fifth with the program) with four assistants that are either in new roles – or new altogether – starting with first-year defensive coordinator Ervin Jackson.

“We’re going to look completely different this year defensively,” said Myers.

And first-year offensive coordinator Chris Lee.

“Things are going to look completely different this year offensively, man,” said Myers. “Very intelligent guy. He can put us in the right situations.”

“Obviously, we’ve got a new playbook,” said Harrison Central senior quarterback Tri Gaughf. “It’s really nice. Coach Myers has brought in a bunch of different coaches. It’s really nice that he’s got a new offensive coordinator. I like him. And I like everything that we’re doing in this program.”

Gaughf is Harrison Central’s new starting QB, one of 13 seniors who’s moving from slot receiver, and the only player other than the now graduated Christian Turner to attempt a pass for the Red Rebels since 2021.

The MGCCC baseball commit can also run it between the tackles.

“Tri is also a gamer,” said Myers. “We found that out from baseball. I mean if you go watch him on the diamond, he just has ice water in his veins.”

“I think it starts at baseball really,” said Gaughf. “That’s what’s helped me along so far I believe. Being a leader, finally being QB1, it’s nice. My senior year, I’ve been looking forward to being quarterback, you know?”

His biggest weapon on the outside is Tyree Barnett, who had 56 receptions for more than 800 yards and five touchdowns as just a sophomore – more than double that of anyone else on the team.

Overall, HCHS returns eight starters on offense and eight more on defense, including the three leading tacklers from last year, Landon Badon, BayBoone Wilson and Marlos Walker, with other big contributions expected from Jayden Taylor as well as the two big guys up front, Caesar Jackson and Arterious Dixon, and finally, Kieron Jones and Tre’Von Deans on the back end.

What was youth last year is experience this year.

“Last year showed that we can definitely play with anybody, so I feel like this year those kids, they’ve bought in,” said Myers. They’ve bought into what I’m trying to build here. They’ve bought into the new systems that we brought in, and I think these systems will push us over the top to be able to really compete with our district opponents. We were really close last year, but now it’s time to get over the hump this year.”

The Red Rebels opened up the 2022 season with a hard-fought three-point loss to Oak Grove in the Port City Bowl, before going on to win three out of their next five games.

What followed was a 10-point defeat at crosstown rival Gulfport, and then a pair of single digit losses to Hancock and D’Iberville.

“Towards the end of the game, if you weren’t doing the little things throughout the game, it definitely showed up in the end and it cost us,” said Harrison Central senior tight end/H-back Aiden Branstietter. “It was very tough, especially when the game ended and we didn’t get the results we wanted, it was very tough coming out with the ‘L’.”

The end result was Harrison Central missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019 with a Region 4-6A mark of 2-5 and an overall record of 3-7, prompting Myers to order team shirts that say, ‘3-7.’

“The theme of the off-season for sure was 3-7, like we do not want to repeat that,” said Myers. “That’s a motivating factor within itself is just not to finish 3-7.”

“Nobody out there wants to go 3-7 again, so they’re definitely striving to be better whether that’s just themselves or for the team.”

“We didn’t take it as serious,” said Gaughf. “We thought it was going to be handed to us a little bit, and this year every day we’re coming at it. We’re not letting anybody take it from us, you know?”

So far, so good if Friday’s 14-13 jamboree win at Wayne County is any indication, as HCHS takes the leap up to 7A in 2023, and if all goes according to plan, a leap up as a program in 2023.

“Not playing around,” said Gaughf. “It’s my senior year. I’ve got to make the most of it.”

“I wouldn’t have been able to make some of the hard decisions I’ve made this year if I would’ve won last year, but I’m very pleased in the direction we’re going, and I think it’s going to be a special year for us, but we’ve just got to turn those lights on on Friday and see what happens,” said Myers.

“People don’t really believe in HC,” said Branstietter. “I mean we’re Harrison Central, but I definitely think we’re a lot better than most people think and I’m ready to show that. I’m ready to show the world. I’ve definitely got us against everybody else.”

On Tuesday, Harrison Central and Gulfport announced their decision to split the Port City Bowl for this year only due to extreme heat.

The Red Rebels are now hosting Ridgeland at 7 p.m. Friday, while the Admirals still host Gautier at Milner Stadium – now at 7:30 p.m.