FERRIDAY — When Chad Harkins was offered the head football coaching job at Huntington High School four years ago following four seasons as Block’s head, he needed to think only of his family before he said yes.

Harkins said the long drive from his home in Vidalia to Jonesville was taking its toll and the Huntington job was a great opportunity to get closer to home.

“It was a better situation for my family,” Harkins said. “I was driving back and forth to Jonesville, which was tough. I was able to get closer to home. My wife is also a Huntington graduate. It was just a better situation for me.”

And when Harkins began coaching the Hounds, he had a familiar face in the backfield, his stepson, Jody Cottongin.

“He had moved down with me from Benton, Ark.,” Harkins said. “It was a real good situation having him down here and being able to work with him on the football field. He’s a real good kid and coaching him was a pleasure.”

Cottongin had visited Harkins many times through the years, but it was different after he came to live with him.

“My wife and daughter took him in like he was theirs,” Harkins said. “I’ve been with him since he was 5. Having him down here and getting to coach him and him being part of our family was a good deal.”

And Cottongin produced massive numbers for the Hounds as well, rushing for over 2,000 yards last year and helping lead Huntington to the South State finals.

His graduation, and the graduation of other key seniors from last year’s team will be something Harkins will have to get his team to overcome.

However, he is confident they can do it.

“We have a big group coming back and I think they’ll be better this year,” Harkins said. “We had several freshmen starting last year that will need to step up and that will be a key factor.”

And if that can happen, Harkins said the Hounds will be right back where they expect to be, competing for the South State championship again.

“That’s a goal for us every year,” he said. “We want to be in the running for that. If they keep working like they have been working, they’ll get better and with a little luck, we’ll be right back there in the thick of things.”