Coach Owen Makamson was a championship football and baseball coach at Quitman, Riverside High, Dear Creek School, Model High in Shannon, Georgia, and Greenville Christian. A native of Morgan City, Owen graduated from Morgan City High and Southern Miss. He spent three years in the U.S. Marines Corps before launching his 31-year coaching career in 1959. Coach Makamson started as an assistant football coach at Quitman before arriving at Riverside High in Avon. He coached two separate times at Riverside where he achieved his greatest coaching success. From 1963 to 1969, he guided the Riverside football team to two Central Delta Conference championships in 1967 and 1969. He would then move to Deer Creek School in Arcola for 1 season before serving as an assistant at Model High in Shannon, Georgia. Owen returned to Mississippi in 1972 at Greenville Christian where he was head coach for three seasons. Riverside called him back to coach in 1975 where he would conclude his career in 1990 after 12 more accomplished seasons. In his second stint at Riverside, Coach Makamson guided the baseball squad to three North State titles, and three state runner-up finishes in 1976, 1977, and 1988. Owen coached in 211 football games and claimed 108 wins with 101 losses and two ties for a 51.2 % winning mark. In addition to his coaching duties, Owen was an athletic director for 23 years at Riverside, Deer Creek School, and Greenville Christian. Coach Makamson was named coach of the year on three occasions by the Central Delta Conference and was an All-Star coach for football in 1969 and for baseball in 1980. Owen was a longtime MAC member and he was also a member of the NFICA, the Crossroads Diamond Club, the Riverside Booster Club, and the Avon Booster Club. Coach Makamson was a longtime member of the Avon United Methodist Church. Owen stated that the greatest honor he has had in the profession was the privilege of serving young people as their coach.