PHEBA – After finishing last season with a 2-7 record, Hebron Christian is installing a new offense and continuing to build upon a foundation based on hard-nosed football for 2024.
In his second year at the helm for the Eagles, head coach and athletic director Nate Carr said he noticed a dramatic difference in his team’s effort and determination during the offseason workout periods.
“We started a new training program in the spring and continued it through the summer,” Carr said. “The guys have gotten a lot stronger and a lot faster. We’re putting a few new kinks into our offense that’s going to make it more fun and more successful. We started practice this week and I’ve gotten them ready for this season. We’re going to continue to work on that until the first game comes.”
Since the Eagles began playing football in 2000, the team boasts two district championships (2008 and 2013) and 10 total playoff appearances, with the last coming in 2020. This season, Hebron wants to snap their 11-year drought and find their way to a district championship. Competing in the eight-man division of MAIS, however, can be tough due to limited roster sizes.
“Eight-man tends to be knocked on a little but there’s athletes at every school that compete on an 11-man program, even a public school,” Carr said. “There’s athletes on the field every night that you have to key against and watch out for. Even in our division, we had one team that competed for a state championship and we played a team that won the state championship. It’s fun, even in this league, to compete against that skill.”
Competing against other strong teams in the division has a plethora of benefits, including preparing the players in various ways for what lies ahead on their schedule and beyond.
“It makes our guys mentally and physically tough week in and week out,” Carr said. “We’re on the building stage. We’re not there yet, but being able to compete with those highly talented schools is great on my part and even better on the player’s part because they’re able to have that competition.”
Last season, the Eagles secured victories against Northeast Baptist and Marvell Academy by a combined score of 76-26. Their schedule also features an important rivalry game against district foe Calhoun Academy, who secured the district title with a 10-2 overall record last season.
The Eagles coaching staff are determined to bring out the best in their athletes this upcoming season. Hebron’s staff features Carr at the helm and assistant coaches Chris McBride and Josh Crocker.
“We’re getting coaches in here that are committed, that want to be here and that buy-in to the kids,” Carr said. “We focus on the relationship the most with the kids. I truly believe that trust is the most important trait that a coach can have with their guys. That’s what I relay as an athletic director to the other sports as well. You have to instill trust in your guys and girls, and if you don’t, you’re not going to have success. Building that relationship on and off the field is important.”
For many in the small Pheba community, football is everything. Local support for the program is one of the most important factors in the rebuilding process as the Eagles look for success against teams in their district and beyond. Despite factors such as inexperience and the learning curve of a new offense, Hebron is prepared to give it their all on the gridiron.
For Carr and company, the ongoing admiration and support from the football families involved with the school and surrounding areas means everything.
“There’s been support all around since I stepped on campus last May,” Carr said. “The community is supportive and we have a really good booster and support system. We started building last year and had a little bit of success. With success comes more support and I’m looking to build that even more this year.”
Hebron will open the season at home on Aug. 23 against Columbus Christian Academy. The CCA Rams scorched the Eagles in their last meeting in 2022, winning 62-8, but Hebron holds the overall series lead, 6-3.
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