HSFT Stop #39: Belmont

BELMONT, Miss. (WCBI) — Belmont football saw many changes during the 2023 season. The Cardinals got a new head coach and moved up to class 3A.

Senior running back Andrew Merino said they got off to a shaky start but got the hang of things as the season went on.

“I’m really excited about how they took to it and how they worked and got better,” head coach Michael D. Jackson said.

The Cardinals have a small senior class of just seven players this season. It’s a tight-knit group — in fact, it features a pair of twins: Andrew and Alex Merino.

“It’s like having another you out there,” senior running back Alex Merino said. “I just feel like we have a bond not many people share.”

The biggest challenge associated with moving up a class to 3A is competing against teams with larger rosters. Jackson said they will face teams that have up to 20-30 more players than them.

“That makes a big difference, especially early in the year because of the heat issue,” Jackson said. “When you’re a small 3A school like we are, you have to contend with that.”

After going 5-5 in 2023, the Cardinals’ goal is to improve on where they left off last year. A key to that will be having a slightly bigger team this season.

“By having more depth, I’m hoping that we can finish some of those games that we were competitive in last year,” Jackson said.

Belmont will host Smithville to start the 2024 season on Aug. 30.