Preseason Blitz: Magnolia is looking to be fast, physical and fearless

MAGNOLIA, Ark. ( KTAL/KMSS ) —  Fast, physical, and fearless. Three words that describe the new culture and mindset of Magnolia football thanks to incoming head coach Adam Kirby.

“We want to play extremely fast; we want to be very physical in all three phases, and we don’t want to be scared of anybody,” explained Coach Kirby. “We’ll play you on grass, we’ll play you on turf, we’ll play you in the parking lot, but we’re going to play you and give you our best game.”

“It’s the want to,” simplified senior wide receiver Nyc O’Guinn. “With the standard that Kirby is holding us up to, if we want to play football we have to do right in the classroom, the community and uphold what he wants from us.”

Bringing the program from 40 to 90 players in just a summer, Coach Kirby’s arrival and immediate influence on the Panthers is a sole reason some players are still putting on the pads and playing football.

“I was thinking about giving up on Magnolia honestly,” confided junior linebacker Chevis Johnson. “Coach Kirby changed my mind. He gave us a speech and ever since then he’s been my dog. We respect him to the fullest.”

“I was really looking to transfer schools because I wasn’t feeling the love and passion that I had for football when I first started playing,” admitted senior lineman Ty’Lee Biddle. “Then when Kirby came. He showed us that he loves us more as people than just players.”

Magnolia opens up the season on the road when they travel to Nashville on Friday, August 30 at 7 p.m.

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