KIRBYVILLE, Texas — Making our way back into District 10-3A D1, we make a stop North of Beaumont in Kirbyville, Texas where the Wildcats enter 2024 under former Daingerfield Offensive Coordinator Seth Hubbard.
Last season the Wildcats fought hard and won a share of the district title in 2023.
Making the playoffs, the team was eliminated in the first round by the Shepherd Pirates.
With a new season on the horizon, Coach Hubbard is prepared to get his guys in the right mindset.
Kirbyville will bring back three offensive starters from the 2023 roster and see six return on the defense.
"The biggest thing is consistency. It's learning that everyday you've [the players] got to bring it. If you don't, that means your backup is getting a little better than you that day," Hubbard said about the competition he's going to have with his players.
One key factor each coach here in Southeast Texas understands about the grind of the football season week in and week out is that "Games aren't won or lost on paper," that's the understanding Coach Hubbard has with his players.
"We expect [the] best effort out of our kids. Our thing is going to be control what we can control," Hubbard said about taking care of the little things and making sure his players don't get overwhelmed by one play.
Taking the season on a week-by-week basis is a must, but the ultimate goal is the ultimate prize, to which Hubbard said, "at the end of the day one team in the state of Texas in 3A Division one is going to finish with a win. Do we want to be that team? Absolutely, but it's all about control what we can control."
However, Hubbard's style of coaching goes beyond the gridiron.
"It's not just about being a great football player. It's be a great son, [do well] in the classroom, grow up [and] be a great father, and you do that with consistency," said Hubbard.
Kirbyville opens the 2024 season with a scrimmage on the road against the Hemphill Hornets, and then will begin the regular season play against the same team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year, with a road test against the Shepherd Pirates.
