HAPPY Friday to everyone!

It has been another exciting week in sport and how great was it to see our Maroons get up on Wednesday?

In case you missed it, here are the five best sport stories we ran in the pages of The Gympie Times this week.

Gympie legend Danny Hawkins took on an opponent with hundreds of bouts to his name and came out covered in glory. The moment of the spectacular knock-out was captured on video by The Gympie Times. It's great viewing.

VIDEO: Devastating Round 1 KO in Gympie boxer's title fight

Hawkins has inspired many through the work he, his wife Alicia and the team at Savage Boxing and Fitness Centre in Gympie have done.

It is not what he has done within the sports and the Fred Brophy's Boxing Tent but coaching and mentoring anyone who steps inside his gym.

Danny has a huge fan in my fellow Gympie Times reporter Josh Preston who wrote this moving tribute in yesterday's paper.

OPINION: Gympie boxing king working just as hard outside the ring

As many of us sat glued to our televisions on Wednesday night watching the greatest contest unfold, the State of Origin, that Queensland glory was pumping.

Gympie Devils player Caleb Daunt grew up dreaming of one day wearing a maroon jersey and he will have his chance on Sunday, June 30.

READ MORE ABOUT CALEB HERE: Footy star back where his dad started playing - in Gympie

In tomorrow's The Gympie Times, we start the roll-out of our best and brightest sporting stars.

Our new Player of the Week segment will run every Saturday from tomorrow, until the end of the year, when we will announce the Gympie Region Athlete of the Year.

READ MORE The search is on for Gympie's Athlete of the year

Eight Gympie hockey players prepare to showcase their skills at Wide Bay over the upcoming weeks. There are a few who compete for the first time at Wide Bay and one player is hoping to be a contender for the Queensland Junior Hockey side.

READ MORE 8 Gympie hockey players to take their game to the next level

It was a shock for one Gympie sporting club when their coach was red carded after the game last weekend.

FIND OUT WHO IT WAS HERE Shock as Gympie coach red carded in heated weekend clash

It is going to be another big weekend in Gympie sport this weekend starting with all three Hammers grades in action tonight from 6pm at Jack Stokes.

Super Saturday of sport will start tomorrow with the Gympie Cats at Ray Warren Oval at 2pm (Reserves at 12noon), Devils at Jack Stokes at 5.30pm and the Gladiators at Gympie United at 6pm.

Happy reading to you all, and have a great weekend. Maybe we will see you at one of the four awesome home games of our big sports. If you spot us, rock up and say hello. Maybe we'll take your photo.

Cheers everyone!