HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — The Hot Springs Trojans will hope to lean on their experience and work ethic for the 2023 season.
"We've got to close out games," Hot Springs head coach Darrell Burnett said. "We lost four games, three of them where we had a great chance of winning. We didn't need to put games away, or we didn't capitalize on defense or offense when we should have. We've got to cross that hump and get over that bridge."
Defensively, the Trojans return a big-time key player in defensive lineman Kendall Williams who has received numerous Division I offers from schools like the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and the University of Central Arkansas.
Williams earned all-state honors last year with 134 total tackles, including 12 for a loss and nine sacks.
"We aim to be 10-0," Williams said. "We want to be conference champions, and we want to win state. This year, everybody knows each other, and everybody's comfortable with each other."
The Trojans also return their all-state quarterback Matthew Contreras for his third season at Hot Springs.
Another strong point for this team is its skill players on both sides of the ball.
"You've got to do everything right every day and practice every day," Burnett said. "We know what we need to be, but I'll be happy as long as we continue to get better daily."
Hot Springs opens the season on Aug. 25 at Vilonia.