The football team will play Wylie at Hawk Stadium this Friday at 7:00 p.m. This will be the first home game of the season after its loss against Jesuit last Friday.

The first game of the season ended as a 38-7 loss to Jesuit. Senior wide receiver Micah Greene said the team has been working to help younger players adjust to the fast tempo of varsity compared to the JV and freshman teams.

“The first game was a little shaky because we have a lot of younger players,” Greene said. “We have a lot of sophomores and juniors playing, and that was their first varsity game. I feel like after that game, they got all their first game jitters out and they know what it’s like in the game [now].”

The last time Hebron went up against Wylie was on Sep. 8, 2017. The game resulted in a win for Hebron with a score of 35-27. Senior quarterback Braxton Baker said the team has been preparing to be better this season by reflecting on previous seasons.

“Nothing changes [with me in a leadership position] in the sense that I’m always going to try to do my best to lead,” Baker said. “I know that I can’t lead my team without going first, [and] I can’t call the people to a place that I won’t go myself. Whether it’s watching extra film [or] going and getting extra work, I need to make sure that I’m not being a hypocrite in what I say and that I’m always positive. I need to make sure that my team can trust me on and off the field.”

With the introduction of a new head coach, John Towels III, many things are changing within the program. From offensive and defensive plays to the coaching style the players are used to, Towels said the program is changing in new and interesting ways.

“I think the biggest change [we’re bringing to the program] is focusing on winning with class and doing things the right way,” Towels said. “Like I told the kids at the scrimmage against [Reedy], we had too many unsportsmanlike penalties. We’re not going to play that type of football. We can have fun and enjoy the game, but we have to do it a certain way. Once we take care of that, the winning will take care of itself, we will win more games and go deeper in the playoffs.”

To improve the team’s morale, Baker said he has been connecting with the entire team from underclassmen to upperclassmen.

“It should be that every single player sticks together,” Baker said. “I have started hanging out with some of the underclassmen and we go to church and hangout. Just making sure that everybody feels valued, no matter if you’re competition, a freshman or backup. Your position or title shouldn’t matter. No man left behind, no matter where you are.”