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In his second year at the helm, Justin Hollis has guided the Vardaman Rams to the MHSAA Class 1A state football semifinals.

Vardaman (9-3) plays Durant (12-1) at home in a semifinals game set for Friday night.

“It’s been a wonderful experience for me,” Hollis said on Monday. "The biggest thing is the kids’ attitude. The thing I wanted to establish when I got here was a selfless attitude.

“These kids have really bought into it.”

Prior to taking over at Vardaman, Hollis, 29, has worked under some of whom he calls the best coaches in the state.

“I was an assistant at Amory for four years under coach Pat Byrd, who I can consider one of the top coaches in the state,” Hollis said. "He’s one of my mentors.

“I was at Itawamba AHS for a year under Lynn Moore, and I was at Kossuth for a year. This is only my eighth year of coaching.”

Even though Hollis is a New Albany native, he understands the legendary status running back Odie Armstrong holds in the Vardaman football program’s history.

“Odie’s the greatest player to ever come through this school,” said Hollis, who is currently coaching Armstrong’s nephew, Chris Armstrong. "He’s still playing today. He’s playing in the UFL for the California Redwoods.

“He’s a high-character guy. He’s really a role model for our kids. Everybody knows who he is.”

To check out Armstrong’s UFL bio click here.

Vardaman is a win away from facing the Mount Olive-Sebastopol semifinal winner in the 1A state championship game set for 7 p.m. next Thursday.