HSFT Stop #40: Calhoun Academy

CALHOUN CITY, Miss. (WCBI) — After more than a decade as an assistant coach at Calhoun Academy, Benny Bryant is stepping up into the head coach role this season. This move at head coach comes after JoJo Pearson resigned to take a job at Regents School of Oxford.

“I just felt like it was time to maybe get some stability in the head coaching spot,” Bryant said.

The change is good for the players, too, who have known him for as long as they’ve been a part of the program.

“He’s been around and helped us develop and everything,” senior quarterback Coley Denton said. “Everybody respects him. He’s a great person. We all love him.”

The Cougars will have senior experience on offense as they are returning their quarterback, two running backs, a tight end and center. The challenge, however, will be mastering a new offense.

“It will be more of a power run game with some play action pass,” Bryant said.

Denton said the scheme is very different from the spread offense they ran in 2022.

“It is a whole two different schemes,” Denton said. “I wouldn’t say it’s as bad as being backwards. It’s gonna take time to learn it.”

But the Cougars are committed, so Bryant has no doubt they’ll be ready this season.

“The dedication so far this summer and summer workouts has been better than I’ve seen in a long time,” Bryant said. “They’re bought into what we’re trying to do. So I think we’re ready to go.”

Calhoun Academy opens the season at DeSoto on Aug. 18.