PHEBA — “I’m trying to catch a ride,” one Hebron player said on the way out of the field house.
The practice field is up the hill along a short, windy gravel road. A handful of varsity players had already piled into a pickup truck, and another pair into a car to make the short drive in pads.
“Y’all, just walk…” a player added, prompting the rest of the team to start the hike while head coach Nate Carr packed up his truck with water and equipment.
The third-year coach took over a program in 2023 that had struggled to maintain interest.
Photo by Colin Damms/Dispatch staff
The Eagles couldn’t field a varsity team in 2021 due to a lack of players, and returned in 2022 with only 14 players, with many younger guys forced to play at the varsity level.
Carr arrived the next year with a plan to build a sustainable culture. He now has a roster of 21 players in the program at JV and varsity.
“We’ve had big support going into Year 3,” he said. “I came in with a personal five-year plan, and we’ve grown every year. …We’ve switched the culture inside the building, renovated a brand new gym, and painted the interior and exterior. We’re starting to grow with the facilities, the scoreboard and renovations. The school is 100% behind its athletic programs.”
Carr has had buy-in from the school and from players, and has found success in getting young men into the sport that many hadn’t considered playing before.
“We have turnover rates every year as guys leave,” he said. “Consequently, and positively, we’ve had guys in the school who may not have played in the past and have gotten on board. I believe that’s the culture building, they see what we’re doing and decided to give it a chance to help it grow.”
Photo by Colin Damms/Dispatch staff
The team struggled in 2024 as an already thin roster couldn’t stay healthy. The Eagles finished 1-9, suffering some heavy defeats along the way and failing to register a win at home. There is positivity in the current group, however, and a confidence in turning things around on both sides of the ball.
“I think we’ll be a little better on defense, and we’re trying to be more on the high-scoring side this year,” said senior Nate Fulgham.
Fulgham is a two-way starter at both quarterback and linebacker, and he’s seen the buy-in from the rest of the team as Carr has made efforts to grow the program.
“I think ever since Coach Carr got here, he’s got us in the weight room and conditioning more,” he said. “Having a better attitude and a manly mentality of wanting to win and trying our best to win.”
It takes a positive attitude to play a Class 1A MAIS schedule. Long trips across the state, and even as far as Arkansas and Louisiana, can make Friday nights an extended affair, but it’s something Carr and the players embrace.
In fact, those road trips are some of Fulgham’s favorite parts of the experience.
“Being around the guys,” Fulgham said. “And getting life thrown at you, being able to get through it and all the learning experiences.”
For Carr, he’s taken several long trips coaching at the MAIS level. Stints at Hillcrest and REBUL Academy led him on similar away-days across state lines, and he’s found a silver lining in the opportunity to bond as a team.
“It goes back to the culture and relationship building,” Carr said. “It’s a business trip at the end of the day, but we enjoy family time and a meal on the way. We get to grow and build with each other and represent Hebron in a Christ-like manner. We enjoy those trips, whether it’s a football game or not.”
The Eagles open the season against Meridian Homeschool on Aug. 22 at home, followed by a visit from Marvell Academy the next week before beginning district play at Kemper County on Sept. 5.
“Just building the growth and the relationships,” he said of his time in charge of the Eagles. “That’s what I stress the most to the guys and the community. If you don’t back the guys, they’re not going to come out and back you. That’s the biggest thing.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 42 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
