Photo courtesy of Mandy Mourton Foster
Last season brought some tough blows to the Hackett program. The Hornets went 4-6 in total season play, lost key seniors and team leaders to graduation, and they saw their beloved coach, Lonnie Hester, hang up his headset for the Hackett Athletic Director and Assistant Principal position. You better believe other teams took notice and are salivating at what they see as a weakened Hackett program for 2019. But those teams are going to be in for a surprise because the 2019 Hornets are ready and more than capable of proving that they are still the Bad Boys of the 2A.
Hackett’s 2019 Sr High Football program is brand spanking new from top to bottom. Along with new Head Coach, Michael Meador, the Hornets football team is also staffed with new coaches, Ryan Pointer, Stephen McMurray, and Jordan Shelby. For Coach Meador, new isn’t a bad thing. He knows Hackett will only be returning four starters on offense and defense. He also knows that he will be bringing a young team onto the field this season. And yes, a young team may be inexperienced. But youth brings intensity and hunger into the program. Most of all, Coach Meador has instilled the greatest winning formula of all time to his young squad. TEAMWORK.
“One of our many strengths as a team is how hard our guys work together and believe in each other. As with many teams, we also have our weaknesses to overcome. The big one is the lack of depth we have at certain positions. In order to have a winning season, we are going to have to excel at the little stuff. Every player has to do their job and not focus on doing another players job,” Meador says. “This season, my expectations are to show up ready to compete in every game and have a chance to win at the very end of the game. The key games we are looking forward to is the next one on the schedule.”
Some key players to keep your eye on this upcoming season is junior Linebacker and Running Back, Weston Winters, junior Weak Safety and Running Back, Fischer Shipman, senior Right Tackle and Defensive Tackle, Briar Goines, junior Quarterback and Defensive Back, Avery Hester, senior Wide Reciever and Defensive Back, Dylan Kats, sophomore Quarterback and Defensive Back, Ethan Slavens, and sophomore Defensive End and Left Guard, Mason Oelke. Those who believe that Hackett will be using this season as a rebuilding season may want to look at the Hornets blueprint again. The Hackett Hornets don’t rebuild, they just remodel and improve their existing House of Hornets.
Both Jr High and Sr High Hornets will start their seasons against the Mansfield Tigers with the Jr High playing at home on August 27 and the Sr High playing away on August 29.
