Randal Montgomery enjoyed three seasons of success as head football coach at Hazlehurst High School.
When hired almost 24 months ago at Columbus High, he brought the same blueprint for success.
“Columbus is like any other place in high school football,” Montgomery said. “It doesn’t really matter what type of quality the football team was in the past. Hazlehurst had been a strong program, but we tore it down and built it back up. You have to break it down and build it back to up to enjoy success and to really make it your own program.”
“You might change a few more things at one place compared to the other. Here, it was a complete overhaul. You are seeing the results of it.”
Columbus finished 8-4 and 6-1 in Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A, Region 1 play. The season ended with a 56-42 first-round playoff loss to Clinton. It was the first time Columbus played host to a first-round playoff game and the school’s first postseason appearance since 2012.
The eight wins is the second-most in program history (school-record 10 wins in 2000). The number of region wins is a school record.
For his success, Montgomery is The Dispatch’s Large Schools co-Coach of the Year.
“He changed everything about the program,” Columbus senior defensive end Christopher Deloach said. “He believed in us when really nobody else did. After that first meeting, I could tell things were going to be different. He had a plan. He saw the future when nobody else did.”
Montgomery went 4-7 in his first season at Columbus in 2014. The Falcons were still in playoff contention until a late loss to Northwest Rankin. After that, lineup changes were made that helped the team build for the future. C.J. Gholar took over at quarterback to lead the Falcons to wins in three of their final four games. Behind an 1,801-yard rushing performance from Kylin Hill, steady play from Gholar, and a tenacious defense, Columbus served notice this season it is ready to emerge as a premier program.
“It goes back to the fact that the kids felt prepared and felt there was always a plan in place to help them win games,” Montgomery said. “You really win a lot of games on Monday and Tuesday. We make everything we do relevant in relation to winning that game that Friday night. We knew we had a great group of kids with athletic talent. If you have that, those players start trusting in their instincts more when they start winning games.”
Columbus still finished 2-2 out of the region. Region play also began with junior running back Kendre Conner sidelined by injury. Region play opened with a come-from-being victory against DeSoto Central.
“If you have success, the kids practice harder, they watch film harder, they lift weights harder. That is human nature,” Montgomery said. “We really didn’t do anything differently. If you win, the kids believe in what you are doing. If you lose games, they begin to question the process and lose your trust.
“We had a great year because we had a great football team. I didn’t think we would be undefeated in region play five weeks in. If you see the results for the work you are putting in, you will continue to put that work in.”
Montgomery needed more numbers to compete in Class 6A. He recruited members of the student body to come out for the team. The promotion and marketing of the program were just as important. In the past, the administration’s support of athletics had been questioned. Montgomery knew it was imperative to have everyone playing a role.
“Our motto for the football team this season was ‘All In’,” Montgomery said. “We extended that to the community. We wanted everybody who could be to be involved. If you had any connection to the purple and gold, we wanted you there. Players, coaches, managers, alumni, family, it doesn’t matter. We really wanted to reach out to all of the city of Columbus.”
Gholar will return for his senior season in 2016. The offense returns almost intact. Gholar knows the challenges ahead, but he also feels his team is ready to show some lasting power.
“Everything is in place,” Gholar said. “We had to learn how to win. There had been so many down moments. Coach came in right away and said he wasn’t worried about the past. He said to trust and believe in him and he would show us a way. Our goal is to make sure Columbus football remains on the map.”
Montgomery played football, basketball, and baseball at Wesson High. He went on to play football at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. A graduate of Southern Mississippi, Montgomery spent seven seasons as an assistant coach at Canton High and Velma Jackson High.
At Hazlehurst, Montgomery guided the team to three state championship appearances, with one win.
“There are so many individuals who have influenced me, it’s hard to narrow down that list,” Montgomery said. “I have a lot of coaches I can reach out to whenever I have a question about anything. A lot of my former players at Hazlehurst came back to games at Columbus, and that meant a lot to me.
“My family (wife Stephanie and 7-year-old son Noah) has been very supportive of my career. When it came time to accept the Columbus job, my wife was there supporting and telling me we could (have success there). It’s been a big challenge, but it has been very rewarding.
“In this business, you could win eight games one year and lose eight games the next. That shouldn’t happen to us. The kids feel like they are part of a winning program now even though there is not that long history of success. Once you believe and you are working hard to meet new goals, you know you are headed in the right direction.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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