As part of its 2026 High School Football Preview Series, Big Law Media sat down with Jonesboro-Hodge High School (JHHS) head football coach and athletic director Terrance Blankenship on July 30th. During the interview, the discussion covered last season’s quarterfinal run, the Tigers’ leadership, team identity, offseason improvements, and expectations for the 2026 season, which will see JHHS move into a new district (3-1A).
Big Law: Coach, you’re coming off a 9-4 season and a trip to the Non-Select Division IV quarterfinals. What did last year’s playoff run teach your program that you believe can help this team in 2026?
Coach Terrance Blankenship: I believe that last year’s seniors showed the underclassmen what leadership looked like. They represented the JHHS football team well in academics, behavior, and athletics. Those 7 seniors were a vital success to our 9-4 season, and hopefully these upcoming 10 seniors will follow their lead and we’ll have another successful season.
Big Law: Every new season brings a different group of players and leaders. Who are some guys you expect to step into bigger leadership roles for the Tigers this year?
Coach Terrance Blankenship: We’re counting on all 10 seniors to lead this year just as last year’s group did. Tysen Burks (WR/DB), Lon’Trevious Burns (RB/LB), and Michael Malone (OL/DL) are three of the seniors that we expect to really step up and lead on and off the field.
Big Law: When people watch Jonesboro-Hodge football in 2026, what do you want the identity of this team to be on both sides of the football?
Coach Terrance Blankenship: The identity of this team will be toughness. We’re going to have to play this game in the trenches. That’s where our experience is on both sides of the ball. We’ll need to run it on offense to take some of the pressure off of the young quarterback and stop the run on defense. A lot of the teams on our schedule are run-heavy teams.
Big Law: What areas did you and your coaching staff identify during the offseason as the biggest things Jonesboro-Hodge needed to improve to take another step forward?
Coach Terrance Blankenship: Some of the areas that we needed to address on both sides are quarterback, running back, and secondary. Our quarterback graduated, so we are going to replace him with a sophomore (King Campbell) and hopefully we can help bring him along slowly. We don’t expect him to be a part of the running game as much as Dakota was last year. Hopefully he’ll develop into a better passer. Our running back was injured most of last year, so we relied on our quarterback in the run game. This year, hopefully Lon’Trevious Burns can fill the void along with a couple of other guys to back him up. We’ll be anchored up front by tackle Michael Malone to lead the offensive line. We’ve shuffled some people around in the secondary to hopefully fill some holes and help create some turnovers. Tysen Burks will help in that role at free safety.
Big Law: Jonesboro-Hodge has a proud football tradition and a community that expects competitive football. What does coaching this program and representing the Jonesboro-Hodge community mean to you personally?
Coach Terrance Blankenship: Coaching for my alma mater means a lot to me. There was JHHS pride when I went to school here. I want success for my school in academics and athletics. I want this community to get behind these students and support them on their journey. We had great parental and community support when I was here. I want the same for these students.
Big Law: After reaching the quarterfinals last season, expectations around the program are naturally going to be high. How do you keep your players focused on earning success this season instead of relying on what last year’s team accomplished?
Coach Terrance Blankenship: We like to create competition and get them to understand that last year is over. We’ve already shuffled some people into the roles that the seniors left and changed some other positions. We don’t ever want a player to think that because someone graduates, you’re next up. We’ll continue that until the first game, and hopefully position battles will be settled.
Big Law: Finally, Coach, when the 2026 season is over, what would have to happen for you to look back and say this team accomplished what it set out to do?
Coach Terrance Blankenship: Obviously, we’ll set some personal and team goals before the season starts. If we can accomplish some of them, win a lot of games, and have fun during the regular season. Once you’re in the playoffs, anything can happen. Hopefully, a deeper run this year will happen.
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