Athens Hornets head coach Zac Harrell thinks this is the year for the maroon to hit their stride .

“ It ’ s year four in this program . Our kids know what the standard is and they ’ ve really worked hard to reach that standard ,” Harrell said .

His roster is laced with people with on-the-job experience earned in battles at Bruce Field and around East Texas .

“ We have the most returners that we ’ ve had since I ’ ve been here and we have a lot of talented kids returning ,” he said . “ That first year we got here , that first day , throwing and catching was a chore .

“ Ty Arroyo has been the starting quarterback for three years and he knows what to expect . He ’ s gotten so much better even from his junior year to now .”

Off season drills have brought his team into August a long way toward developing the timing and team chemistry needed to succeed .

“ We get a lot of reps ,” Harrell said . “ That ’ s the great thing about the summer now . You have an hour a day to work sport specific skills . We ’ ve been able to use the summer as an extension of our practices .”

Harrell ’ s staff includes 14 coaches of which five are new faces . A new defensive coordinator , Chase Reeves , replaces one who retired .

“ It ’ ll be a little bit different . We ’ re kind of looking at a different philosophy

It ’ ll be a little bit different . We ’ re kind of looking at a different philosophy on defense . — Zac Harrell

ZAC HARRELL HEAD COACH on defense ,” Harrell said . “ That ’ s going to take some time , but we ’ re excited about our coaching staff .”

“ There ’ s not one team on our schedule that you ’ d say is a bad team . Some are really good teams and we think we ’ re a really good team too . It ’ s going to be a war every week .”

Athens new district has a definite East Texas flavor with schools on the schedule that were rivals in seasons past .

“ When you think of East Texas football , that ’ s what our district is ,” Harrell said . “ It ’ s East Texas football at its finest . You look at Jacksonville and Palestine . I ’ ve only been in Athens for four years , but in talking to older Athenians , those are the teams they grew up playing .”

Harrell said his team needs to focus on what matters and that ’ s to make the Athens Hornets the best they can be everyday rather than looking down the schedule .

“ We ’ ve got the kids to be really competitive in this district , but the key is , we ’ ve got to stay healthy ,” Harrell said . “ The fact is , we ’ re the smallest school in 4A Division I . We can play with anybody . We ’ ve just got to go out and do it .”

Harrell said football is a game , but a game that helps prepare his kids for their life beyond high school .

“ I think football is the ultimate team sport that teaches life lessons ,” he said . “ There ’ s no sport like football where it truly takes every person on the field to be successful . Ten people can do their job and the play can fail because of that one person .”

Teams that excel are not the ones who never face adversity , but those who endure in spite of it .

“ Football is life . Football knocks you down , but you ’ ve got to get up . It ’ s hard , but it teaches great life lessons .”

An important lesson is how to work with and alongside people who may be different from you in some respect . He sees that in his team when they come to work and play together and strive for success .

“ If our world could be like our locker room , it would be a lot better place ,” Harrell said .

ATHENS HORNETS

GAME CHANGERS

With by the smallest enrollment of the schools in their district , the Hornets will have to get the best production posssible of all of the players on campus . “ Just by numbers alone , they have more kids on their sideline , so we ’ ve got to keep our kids healthy ,” Coach Harrell said .

THE MISSION

Athens picked up a bundle of non-district victories last year , winning four of five . This year , Coach Harrell thinks the Hornets are better equipped to continue their success into district play . The challenge will be stepping up to some tougher competition from the new district foes .

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