Even when Kevin Christmas was less than a week old, North Hall coach Bob Christmas and his entire family still took to the sidelines on Friday nights to support another of the Christmas clan.

Bob would coach the Trojans, two of his other sons would be on the sidelines, one would be on the field, and Kevin would be sitting in his mother’s lap, watching with his two sisters.

“We’ve always been a football family,” Bob said.

“My brothers and sisters have been there watching the game forever,” said Matthew Christmas, the second-youngest and a 2009 graduate from North Hall.

Now, Kevin is a senior running back for North Hall and is entering his final games with his dad as his coach.

“It definitely motivates me on top of everything else,” Kevin said of the possibility of each game being his last with his dad.

The team is trying to delay that moment as long as possible as they make a run at a state title. The Region 7-AAA champion Trojans (9-2) host No. 2-seed Morgan County (9-2) in the second round of the state playoffs at 7:30 p.m. Friday at The Brickyard in Gainesville.

Over the years, Bob has had the opportunity to coach all four of his sons through their high-school football careers, but it wasn’t always easy. When he coached his oldest son Robbie, now 34, when the family lived in Virginia, he had a hard time treating Robbie the same as the rest of the team.

“I actually didn’t handle it very well.” Bob said. “I was very tough on him, and it was one of those situations where if I wanted to get onto the team, I would get onto him.”

It was several years later that Michael would begin playing at North Hall, however, and by then, Bob said he realized that being tougher on his children was not being fair to them.

“What I did pretty much then was I let the running back coach coach him. It was very seldom that I interjected. What I had to learn to do was be fair with my sons,” Bob said.

Now that Kevin is finishing out his high-school career and heading in to the second-round of the state playoffs on Friday night, he feels as though having his dad as his coach has only made him better.

“I guess the it gave me an edge with him being able to correct me and coming home and spending extra time on football,” Kevin said.

All four of the Christmas sons have been to the playoffs with their dad as the coach, but with this season being the last that one of Bob’s sons will play for him, there’s something different about the team and the feeling surrounding these postseason games.

“I learned to enjoy having my sons out there,” Bob said. “It’s been really special.

“This year especially, we don’t have any egos out there, our kids are truly team players. Makes me very proud of (Kevin). I may be as proud or more proud of his leadership than I am of the way he runs the football.”

Michael and Matthew were, like Kevin, running backs, while Robbie was a quarterback. But, even with some of the same positions, the boys all play with a different style.

“Michael was really fiery,” Bob said. “Some of the times I really got onto him was his temper.

“Matthew was a very good running back. He was more laid-back. Kevin is in between Michael and Matthew. On Friday nights I see a lot of that energy in him, but not as much in practice. I don’t know that I’ve had one that loves it more than Kevin.”

It’s obvious that each member of the Christmas family loves football, but the boys were never forced into playing the sport.

“If they had enjoyed being in the band or not being involved in anything it wouldn’t have mattered to me,” Bob said, “but it is fun that they have taken to football since it’s what I do.”

Kevin said that he loves having his dad as his coach, not only because he can constantly get pointers about his game and make corrections, but because there is always someone there to support you.

“Honestly it feels great. He’s obviously behind each and everyone of us (on the North Hall team), but (as a dad) he’s behind you at home too,” Kevin said.

Bob said there’s no doubt he will miss having one of his sons out there with him every week.

“They’re all sons of mine,” Bob said of the Trojans’ team, “but there’s something special about having your own out there.

“Now, you’re getting down to the end and you think, ‘this could be the last time we’re going into battle together.’”

But, no matter what, Christmas’ sons and the rest of his family will always be there to support each other.

“As long as my dad is coaching and I’m nearby, I’ll be there to watch the games,” Matthew said.