PHEBA — Landon Hill and Channing Tapley have known each other and been playing sports for so long together that they have become like brothers.
At Hebron Christian, that’s not really that unique considering Hill and Tapley have eight other “brothers” who have been playing football with them ever since they can remember.
To say the 10 senior members of the Hebron Christian football team share a “special” bond would be an understatement. The nature of the relationships between seniors Emerson Shinn, Brian Eaddy, Hill, Daniel Coggins, Jessie Moore, Payton Griffin, Josiah Parrish, Lucas Foster, Clay Faulkner, and Tapley has come into clearer focus this week as Hebron Christian (7-2) completed preparations for its game at 7 tonight against Kemper Academy (9-0).
In addition to being the game that decides the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Eight-Man District 2 title, tonight’s rivalry matchup will be the Hebron Christian seniors’ final regular-season game. A victory would secure the Eagles a home game next week in the first round of the playoffs. That would be a welcome reward for a group of players who have helped Hebron Christian play at a high level for the past four years.
“It’s not really just a team, it’s more of like a brotherhood out here,” said Hill, who has been one of Tapley’s favorite targets in the passing game. “We play good together on the field.”
Like all players who have played together for years, Hill said he has gotten to know the habits of many of his “brothers,” even after he changed roles from quarterback to wide receiver. He said Tapley took over at quarterback and has been excelling in that role ever since. Both players also are standout on the school’s baseball team.
Hebron Christian football coach David Foster said he would have had an even bigger group of “sons” if four or five players had stayed at that school and continued to play football, but he said several individuals who were in the original group left to go to other schools. Even though the group has shrunk to 10, he said all of the players have been special to him.
“The year they started first grade, I came here,” said Foster, who is in his 12th year at the school. “It has been an athletic group.
“I saw when they were ninth-graders they were a special because they could contribute in a game and make a lot of plays.”
Tapley, who is a pitcher on the school’s baseball team, said he and his senior teammates have developed a strong trust throughout the years. He said knowing many of his teammates’ habits and knowing how they will react has given him and the Eagles an advantage this season. He hopes they will be able to close the regular season in style and make a run in the playoffs.
“I think we are going to play a whole lot harder against a good team,” Tapley said. “Since it is (for the) district (championship), we are going to play even harder for that, and because it is Kemper.
“I think everybody knows this is our last go-around, so we need to go as hard as we can and have fun.”
Foster said this season has been a “fun” season. Even though Hebron Christian lost to reigning state champion Sharkey-Issaquena in its season opener, he said the team gained confidence from its performance. He said the team used that experience to get in better shape. He feels his first eight matches up against any team in the state. He said it will be a matter of tackling, taking care of assignments, and playing together — which should be something “brothers” are used to doing — for the seniors to make the most of their final season.
“They’re pretty close because we are such a small school,” Foster said. “It is not unusual for a group of kids at our school to stay together. We might gain one or two or miss one or two — and like I told you we lost five or six of these kids — but they are a good group and a good team because we stress team.
“They’re all close and all friends. That is what it is all about. In football, you better be able to trust your teammates.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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