Hixson Chasing Another District Title Despite the Loss of 21 Seniors

Not bad, considering the Wildcats lost a ton of experience from last year’s team, which was the best in school history.

 New Hixson head coach Dan Duff had his work cut out for him this season as the Wildcats had to replace 21 seniors.

Said defensive back Nicholas Beatty,"I didn’t think we would get this far. We worked hard when we got here."

Said Duff,"Ted Gatewood years ago when I was here before. When he was at Ooltewah he said he wasn’t building teams, he was building a program. That’s what I hope Hixson is starting to become is a program and not just teams. So a program is where the younger kids learn how to win from the older kids."

    Wildcats first game didn’t go as planned as they lost 49-36 to Soddy Daisy.

Said running back James Cole,"After the first game, we were pretty nervous about the season. We came out the next week and practiced way harder."

Said Duff,"After our first game, we all sat down as a staff and revamped. Just where can our kids. What can we do to put them in the best place. The defensive staff has done just a tremendous job. I think that is where our team has improved the most."

   The defense matured, tossing a pair of shut-outs this year, including one against East Ridge.

Said Beatty,"In the preseason, they picked East Ridge to be the top team in the district. We beat them. We were really happy about that."

   For Coach Duff, his confidence all season has been in his offensive line.

"The place where we had most of our experience was our offensive line. Our offensive line has been really good for us this year. So anytime you are good upfront, you’ve got a chance to be pretty good."