Hart football players have said that they’ve prepared harder for this season than any other. They have the opportunity to prove that tonight against Carlsbad.
“All the players in here want to win this year,” said Drew Munoz. “No one wants to have the same feeling as last year. We’re coming for bigger and better things this year.”
The Indians will take a 134-mile bus ride to Orange County to face a Lancer team that finished third in the Avocado League last season in the San Diego Section.
Carlsbad returns receiver Cole Wright, who caught 36 passes for 758 yards and seven touchdowns, to lead a receiving corps that likes to go deep.
“They do have a lot of deep threats on the offensive side,” said receiver and defensive back Ashton Thomas. “So if they’re going to pass the ball, the DBs, we’re ready. We’re going to make them pay for it … if (Wright) is as good as they say he is, then we’re in for a long night.”
The Lancers boast size at the line, particularly in 6-foot-5, 295-pound tackle Jonathan Harrison, who has multiple Division 1 offers.
Both Wright and Harrison have some of the most experience on the team, but Carlsbad returns most of its starters from last season, something coach Mike Herrington knows can be a great asset.
“They were playing a lot of underclassmen last year,” Herrington said. “Now they have a year under their belts, so they have a lot of experience over there on both sides of the ball and the special team area.”
Hart has plenty of experience, too, with Thomas and Munoz starting again at both receiver and in the secondary.
“This is my third year at safety in our defense and I’ve been on varsity for three years now, so I feel very prepared and I feel like I know this offense and defense inside and out,” Munoz said.
The Indians are a contender for a Foothill League title this season and a win in the first game of the year could start the season with the momentum they need.
“This is my senior year,” Thomas said. “Start it off with a bang and I hope the way we start is the way we finish. We’re real prepared. We’re more prepared this year than we were last year, so I’m very excited.”
