HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: BLUE RAIDERS ARE PREPARING FOR NEW SEASON AFTER CHAMPIONSHIP YEAR LAST SEASON (24 PHOTOS) (2025-08-20)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
HORSEHEADS — A year ago the Horseheads football team had a memorable season, winning their first sectional title in over two decades.

Now, the Blue Raiders are back, and hoping for even more this year.

“It was actually the first thing we talked about,” Hillman said of how last year ended with a close loss in regionals. “It’s a whole new season, a whole new team, but I do think those guys after we lost the last game they weren’t satisfied with how the season went. They were disappointed, so that shows me they are hungry for more.”

Now, the Blue Raiders are back to work getting ready for a new season.

“We are excited,” Hillman said. “We have been waiting for a while. It seemed like it was kind of dragging as the summer went on, but now we are out here and ready to go.”

The Blue Raiders lost a strong group of seniors to graduation, but they have plenty of others ready to step into those roles this year.

“It’s good,” Hillman said of the roster. “New faces. It’s guys who have to step up. We lost a lot when you think about the offensive line and the defensive line. With Mickley and Peckham, pretty much that whole front. A lot of the guys we lost up front and it’s going to be tough to replace. But, we have got guys who are going to stop right back up in there and hopefully take us to the next level.”
————
PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES

PHOTO GALLERY FROM PRACTICE:


Print Friendly Version