I’m the new sports editor here at The Daily Leader, so you’ll likely see me out at the high schools or little league parks here soon.

I graduated from Ole Miss in May 2016, and have covered high school sports in Clay County and was the Ole Miss baseball beat writer for the Ole Miss Spirit, a 247 affiliate, until taking this job in Brookhaven.

I tell everyone that I’m from Starkville, but in reality that’s not true.

I’m from a little town outside of it called Eupora.

You probably haven’t heard of it.

I enjoy high school sports, a lot. I grew up playing at a small 2A high school, like many here in the county, and I understand the passion that people have for those schools, and what athletics means within those communities.

I understand the passion people have for Brookhaven High School. I covered West Point High School football for the previous two seasons, the back-to-back 5A state champions, and every day I was thoroughly reminded what that football team meant to the community.

That’s what I love about high school sports. It’s not just the life lessons that athletes are able to derive from competing in a high-level environment, it’s how much the communities rally together and support those respective teams.

I’m going to make a strong effort to tell stories that go beyond the field of play, for a multitude of reasons.

First, I don’t believe that encapsulates what players bring to the table. I think that there are stories under every ballcap and behind every facemask that are waiting to be told, and those stories deserve to be out there.

Fans want to get to know the people beyond the laundry that they’re wearing, and I’m going to make sure that I make every effort to shine a light on the players in this county and what they are off the field, as well as on it.

I’m excited to get started here in Brookhaven and beyond, and I’m excited to be at high-school athletic events telling the stories of your sons, daughters, nieces, nephews and grandchildren. I’m excited to be covering some of the best athletic programs within the state. I’m excited to tell the stories that this county has to tell.

If you need to contact me, or have any type of feedback, positive or negative, do not hesitate to do so.

Sports editor Collin Brister can be reached at collin.brister@dailyleader.com or 601-265-5306.