Coming off a 34-33 overtime loss to Marcus last week, the football team prepares for its first district win in the homecoming game against Plano East at the Brian Brazil Stadium on Sept. 29 at 7:00 p.m.

“I want to establish Hebron as one of the top teams in the state of Texas,” offensive coordinator Terrence Orr said. “I want to put on a great performance. I want us to take care of business and win the football game, but I want to do it in a fashion where people look at Hebron and [say],‘that’s Hebron [from the] old [times].’”

Last year, the team played its homecoming game against Marcus and lost 23-21. 

“We have all the excuses for how we played last year,” junior defensive end Clay Lindmark said. “We have the talent [and] the coaching staff, we just need to put it all together. Morale was really low at one point, but everyone’s starting to come back and believe in each other [more].”

The first game of the season was dedicated to late student JJ Hatcher and Brian Brazil. This game is dedicated to the naming of the Brian Brazil Stadium. Brazil was the former head coach from 1999-2022, who passed away this past July due to cancer. Orr said those are some shoes that can never be filled.

“He [was] here over 20 years,” Orr said. “He [built] a foundation and you see his fingerprints on the program. Our job is just to build on what he already laid down, and the best way to honor him is by being respectful to our opponents, playing our butt off for this community, but also [taking] care of business Friday night.”

Last season, the team beat Plano East 35-23. Senior tight end Jesse McElroy said Plano East was a tough team and, while the team did win, they did not “put them away.”

“[We need] to lock in,” McElroy said. “Obviously, it’s homecoming, [and we’re going to] have distractions. If we lock in and know what’s at stake, we’ll be fine.”

The last time the team won a homecoming game was in the 2019-2020 season when the team played Nimitz and won 58-12. 

“I’m excited [because of] where the kids are [this season],” Orr said. “It’s not about how you start, [but] how you finish, and I [feel] like the path we’re going [is] a straight uphill path. Going into district, we [have] sophomores stepping up in big roles. They already [have] game experience, so it’s looking really positive.”