#HSFT18: Stop No. 44 – Eupora Eagles

EUPORA, Miss. (WCBI) — Eupora looks to continue their winning ways in 2018.

“We had a real good spring,” said head coach Stephen Edwards. “Summer workouts we’ve had most every kid here at least twelve times, and so just really excited about the upcoming season.”

The Eagles are coming off a 7-4 season in 2017 with a first round playoff loss to Philadelphia.

The team also comes in with a different mindset, and wants to forget about the past.

“We can’t really worry about last year,” said senior quarterback Edwin Herard. “If you stay in the past, you won’t do good in the presence. Just have to build off from what you learned last year.”

“Some of us have got to step up,” said senior receiver Cam’ron Culpepper. “Most of us are experienced already. Our young players have to step up and play their part too.”

“We got to keep pushing forward,” said senior lineman Campbell Vaughn. “We are going to be faced with adversity, and we just have to overcome it.”

Eupora returns fourteen starters this season, but the offense will look different with having to replace quarterback Tanner Knight and wide out Al Dumas.

“It’s kind of hard replacing them,” said senior fullback Preston Perkins. “But we are going to work around it, and do the best we can do. We got a lot of young guys that are going to have to step up and play.”

“Those are good ball players,” Edwards said. “Made a lot of plays for us. I think we have a lot of a difference now with more of a two back system. Edwin Herard will be starting at quarterback for us, and he’s had a really good spring. A really good summer throwing the ball. Super excited about that too.”

The Eagles have a rich tradition with a winning program. Last season, Eupora finished their seventeenth winning season out of the last eighteen years. It comes with no small task each season within the 2a division that the Eagles compete in.

“It’s a tough division every year,” Vaughn said. “But I think we can beat everyone this year.”

“We want to have a chance to win the division,” Edwards said. “I think our division champion has played for a state championship the last eight years now. If you win this division, you’ve got a good shot to make a good run in the playoffs, and make it to the state championship.”

Eupora opens up with a huge road test to take on Water Valley on August 17th.