By Robert Wilson
Lance Pogue and Joey Hawkins – two of the most successful and popular football coaches in their respective high school associations (MHSAA and MAIS) over the past several decades – are now returning to the sidelines in the same town.
Pogue, after taking year off from coaching, has been named the head coach at Columbia High. Hawkins, who hasn’t been a head coach since, has taken over at Columbia Academy.
The two schools are five minutes apart and have never played each other in football. Columbia, a town of about 6,000, now has two of the most successful coaches in Mississippi history.
Said Columbia Mayor Justin McKenzie: “This is an exciting time for our community. We’ve had some very good years, but I think these guys are about to take it to the next level. The excitement is building throughout our community.”
Columbia High plays in the MHSAA Class 4A and has an enrollment of about 470 in grades 9-12. Columbia Academy plays in the MAIS Class 4A and has an enrollment of about 125 in grades 9-12.
Columbia is well known for being the hometown of who many consider the greatest football player in Mississippi history and in NFL history – the late Walter Payton, who played at Columbia High and Jackson State. He has a statue at Columbia High’s football field.
Pogue, a Eupora High, Holmes Community College and Delta State alumnus, is most known for his time at South Panola – aka the University of South Panola – where he won a national championship and five state titles in his 10 seasons in Batesville, one of the most successful runs in Mississippi football history. He had a 126-17 record at South Panola, including a 15-0 record and a national title in 2007, his first season.
Pogue has a 238-67 career record – a remarkable 78.0 winning percentage (one of the best in Mississippi for coaches with at least 200 wins) – with stops at Eupora, Winona, South Panola, Jackson Academy and Heritage Academy and begins his 24th season as a head coach. Pogue led Heritage to a 10-2 record and a MAIS Class 5A semifinal finish in 2022 but decided to step away from coaching after the season.
Hawkins, an Indianola Academy alumnus, is best known for his three straight state championships at Jackson Academy from 2003-2005, is one of four coaches in MAIS history to have a three-peat at the highest classification. He has a 158-68 record, a 69.9 winning percentage, in 28 seasons, with stops at Woodland Hills Baptist Academy, JA and PCS. Hawkins had a 75-19 record (a 79.7 percent winning percentage) and four state titles, and two state runner-up finishes in eight seasons (2001-2008) at JA. He led PCS to a school record 11 wins and defeated Jackson Prep, Jackson Academy, and Madison-Ridgeland Academy in 2016, the first time since 1999 a team had accomplished those wins in the same season. Hawkins retired from coaching in 2017 at PCS.
Pogue has been working with his players this summer and started preseason practice August 1. Columbia opens the regular season Aug. 30 against d’Iberville at home.
Columbia High has 10 returning starters back from last year’s team, which won a school record 14 games and lost to Louisville in the MHSAA Class 4A state championship game. Columbia High has reached the 4A state semifinals four of the last five seasons, including winning the state title in 2021. Pogue replaced Chip Bilderback, who had a 69-12 record (an amazing 85.2 winning percentage) in six seasons. Bilderback left to go to coach in Monroe, La., where his wife, Missy, is the women’s basketball coach at Louisiana-Monroe.
“The superintendent here, Jason Harris, was the principal at Tupelo when I was coaching at South Panola,” Pogue said. “You never know about timing. This flew out of the sky. He called me up and we talked. I was impressed with the whole operation. You work hard and you build up your name and sometimes things happen by chance. Chip has put in a good foundation for this football program. I’m not one of those never say never guys. I am high on this administration, and I like the focus and direction of the program. It’s like smaller South Panola. There are some great kids and this community cares about football. All of the assistants under Chip are back. We didn’t want much turnover. It was a smooth-running machine when Chip was here. And I get to walk by the statue of Sweetness (Walter Payton’s nickname) every day. That’s awesome.”
Senior offensive lineman and Baylor commitment Harrison Cluff (6-foot-5, 305 pounds) is the top returnee. And then there’s senior quarterback Collen Haney, junior linebacker-running back Trea Lewis, and junior running back-wide receiver-defensive back Darion Peters.
“Harrison has unlimited potential. He had several Division I offers,” Pogue said. “Collen is an outstanding leader. Trea has played a lot of ball. And Darion is jack of all trades.”
“Columbia has had a winning program for the past six years, but people are doubting us since we lost our old head coach, and we had some players jump ship on us,” Cluff said. “But Coach Pogue has shut that doubt out of our minds. He coaches us hard and makes sure we push ourselves and each other every day. He’s definitely coaching us to be a championship contender this year. He’s getting us excited for this year and our team can’t wait to get after it.”
Hawkins also been working with his players this summer and officially opened preseason practice in late July. Columbia Academy opens the regular season Friday against Natchez Cathedral at Columbia.
Hawkins was helping Columbia Academy find a coach when he felt God’s call to coach again.
“A couple of coaching candidates met with several board members,” Hawkins said. “After a while of searching and they couldn’t find the right fit, I felt God calling him back into coaching. I told my wife (Kim of 33 years), ‘Honey, I need to go help this team.’ She said go ahead. I called several of my longtime coaching friends to come with me. Guys like (former longtime college offensive line coach) Mark McHale, (former West Marion coach) Brad Duncan, (former Columbia Academy coach) Jimmy Lowry, (former Columbia Academy defensive coordinator) Dillon Rhodes and (student coach) Jaden Bracey.
“My philosophy is one day at a time. We will try to max out every day. We are going to work hard on speed performance, change of direction and get stronger in the weight room. And we have. We have 28 players, the least I have had since the Woodland Hills days. But I’m proud of this team. These kids have been amazing. We have been in the wilderness for a while, but we are getting closer to the promised land. We are going to fight for 48 minutes. That’s all we are after. We are committed to excellence and the wins will take care of themselves. This team has captured my heart.”
Columbia Academy has won only eight games in the past four seasons.
Hawkins has 14 returning starters from last year’s 3-8 team.
The top players are junior quarterback-free safety Reed Duncan, junior quarterback Noah Fortenberry, senior running back Jack Speir, sophomore tight end-wide receiver Trent Buckley, junior lineman Logan Buckley (Trent’s brother), senior lineman Ethan King and junior linebacker Carson Daniels, the leading tackler from last season.
“Coach Hawk is just an all-around great guy,” Daniels said. “He’s always positive trying to pump the team up and telling us to put smiles on our faces when we mess up and he pushes us hard to be better. He has a lot of knowledge and wins under his belt. He has the best offensive plays I’ve ever seen. As a defensive player, I would hate to be on the opposite side of the ball of him. But he didn’t come out of retirement to lose. It’s going to be a great season.”
Pogue and Hawkins got a chance to visit last week when the Rotary Club of Columbia had Pogue, Hawkins and head football coaches at East and West Marion come speak about their team.
Said Hawkins: “I have a lot of respect for Lance and the great job he has done over the years. He’s one of the best coaches in Mississippi history.”
Said Pogue: “Joey has done a wonderful job during his coaching career. It’s pretty neat that we are now coaching in the same town.”
