Former Central coach now leads KA Rams

Since its beginning in 1970, one of Kemper Academy’s top rivals was Central Academy in Macon, also known statewide as Macon Central.

The Vikings and the Rams battled it out on the football field and in other athletic arenas until Central closed a few years ago. Some Central students started coming to Kemper Academy. And now the Vikings’ head football coach Michael Dawkins is the Rams new head coach. Dawkins was an assistant coach at Central for 10 years and head coach two years. He also assisted with baseball and basketball. And no, he never expected to be the head coach at Kemper Academy.

“I did not think this would ever be, but there is nowhere else I would rather have my two kids than here,” Dawkins said. “Everyone has been great. I get to coach with Chris Gully, who has been my friend for 40 years. It is good to be out here with good friends and the kids are awesome.”

Dawkins believes his new team has talent and will be competitive in their division. But, he added, this is a young team.

“We are young heavy,” Dawkins said. “Six of our 15 are juniors and seniors. The rest are freshmen and sophomores.”

Dawkins lives in Brooksville and works in Starkville. Then he drives to DeKalb to coach football, and then goes back home to Brookville. That’s a 170-mile round-trip every weekday.

The Rams open their season August 20 at home against Porters Chapel.

“We are going to do well in our region,” said Dawkins. “That’s what we are going to shoot for first. These kids are giving us everything they got and I think we have the makings of a good team.”