By Mackynlie Conklin | Late summer time in Brownwood brings sweltering heat, and waves of new and returning football players to the practice fields of Howard Payne.
After a heartbreaking conference record of 1 in 8 in the 2018 fall season, Head Football Coach Braxton Harris has high expectations for his team in the next season. With football practices in full swing in Brownwood, the team is hard at work building a strong team for the upcoming season and their first game facing Austin College on August 7th.
With the new players freshly on board, Coach Harris is focusing on the team’s ability and health for the brand-new season.
“What we want to be able to do is put a group of guys out on the field that knows what to do [on the field], plays with confidence, and plays fast and physical.” Coach Harris said of his expectations for the team.
The coaching staff has been adamant about acclimating the Yellow Jackets to their surroundings and the extreme heat they will be playing in on Saturdays during this fall. Coach Gil, the head strength coach for HPU, has been a key aspect in HPU football since his start in January earlier this year. His approach to this football season has been to make sure the players are not just mentally strong but also physically strong when facing powerhouse opponents like the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.
“Under Coach Gil’s tutelage physically [the team is] ready to go, physically they’re in better shape, and they’re quicker than they have ever been.” Coach Harris explained.
However, new strength and conditioning is not the only secret weapon football has up their sleeve. Sophomore quarterback Caleb Estes is set to start for the Yellow Jackets this fall. As a new quarterback, Estes has a lot of attention surrounding him but he says he doesn’t feel pressure to have a great season.
“The guys I’m surrounded by are exceptional in what they do. Everyone on the offense, with the exception of myself, has already started in games in college before. So, I know I’m surrounded by people who can go out and make plays” Estes states.
As an underclassmen Estes has only seen the progress made since last season, but he says the strides they’ve made between then and now have been essential to their success for this season.
“Physically we are in better shape. We’ve worked out during off season and all summer to get ready for the season. I also believe we are all a lot closer this year and have a better connection.” Estes says of his teammates.
This year has proven to have one of the highest numbers of returning players since Coach Harris’ start at HPU. With over 30 junior and senior players returning the amount of familiarity of the collegiate football field has increased, and Coach Harris believes this could be an advantage on the field this season.
“These [returning players] have already played twenty football games, and when your building a program some of those guys play as freshmen and they’re going to have a lot more game experience.”
After three years at HPU Coach Harris has seen a difference in trust and cohesiveness in the team. He says there’s more trust because the majority of the time these returning players has been with the current coaching staff. The Senior Class are the only players that Harris and his staff hasn’t recruited.
But that doesn’t change the fact that this team has become not only teammates but mentors, friends and some even brothers through being a part of the HPU football team. Over all this football season is one that both player and coaches alike are excited for.
With the university experiencing change throughout the campus, now is a great time to be at Howard Payne. The football program is looking to highlight and showcase a very important aspect of what student life has to offer. Although athletics is not the number one priority here on campus, it still is an intricate part to the students’ lives here at Howard Payne.
So, get your pompoms and noisemakers ready Jacket fans because things are about to get interesting! Between new players, new coaches, and newly found team trust our Yellow Jacket Football team is ready for their first kick off against Austin College in Sherman on September 7th.