Holman Edwards and Bradley Edwards are not related, but they are good friends and in the fall they will once again be teammates.
Holman, a 2019 French Camp graduate, is quarterback at East Central Community College and threw for 985 yards and nine touchdowns last fall. Bradley, a French Camp senior, played football and baseball for the Panthers. He will be joining Holman at East Central and on the gridiron in the fall.
“Holman was a big part of my recruiting process,” he said.
The younger Edwards played middle linebacker, tight end and running back for French Camp. “Bradley is going to bring everything he has,” said French Camp football and baseball coach Nathan Wright. “He has a nose for the ball. He's not the biggest kid in the world, but he is able to get to the ball. That's why he ended up being at the middle linebacker position. He's an intelligent kid and he has the ability to process the game and know what's going on. He brings a great attitude and great effort. He just doesn't take plays off.”
Edwards led the Panthers in tackles with 101, including six for losses. In part time offensive duty, he ran for 115 yards and caught eight passes for 78 yards.
Baseball was his first sport, beginning in T-ball. But football is his first love and is the sport he will play at East Central. “Football is a very in-your-face contact game, man on man.” he said.
He's a bit undersized for linebacker at 5-11 and 190 pounds and was recruited by East Central as a safety. But after the coaching staff viewed films and put Edwards through a tryout, he said it looks like he will be an outside linebacker.
“A linebacker is a linebacker. The only thing is that outside has more coverage responsibilities. I'll just have to get better with my pass coverage.”
Edwards was a catcher on the baseball team, a position he started playing in Pony League and has grown to love. “Every play you are going to touch the ball. You're always going to be involved. You have a team leadership role.”
French Camp got off to a great start before the baseball season came to a premature end. The Panthers were 6-0, thanks to an offense averaging better than 10 runs a game. Edwards was one of six players batting over .300 at .333 (6-18). Throw in seven walks and he had a .520 on base average.
He attributed the team's success to extra time in the batting cage. “At the end of our hitting rotation, before we actually started practice, we had some type of competition, whether it be bunting, hitting line drives or hitting curve balls.”
The end of the season was a bummer. “I'd say I'm still a little bit in shock. We had a lot of momentum. It would have taken a lot to stop us.”
Edwards plans to major in business, with a minor in marketing at East Central, then probably move on to Mississippi State. “I see myself as a very analytical person, very organized. I can see myself being happy in a business environment. I've always been super interested in finances.”
Since age 13, he has worked for his grandfather, who owns Edwards & Sons Fence Company of Kosciusko, putting up fences, repairing fences and putting up gates.
