BELLMEAD, Texas (KXXV) — The La Vega Pirates are on their way to AT&T Stadium in Arlington to compete against Carthage for the state championship.
And they are off! The La Vega Pirates head to AT&T Stadium ahead of Fridays matchup against Carthage #txhsfb @lvpirates pic.twitter.com/Te1By7p5Dl
— Shahji Adam (@ShahjiAdam) December 19, 2024
"It's business as usual — I mean, that's the only way you can approach it," said La Vega Pirates head coach, Don Hyde.
"You better worry about the fundamentals of the game, getting lined up correctly, knowing your assignment, and then executing the best you can."
There's history between La Vega and Carthage — the last time these two teams saw each other was at the state championship game in 2019. Carthage ended up on the winning end last time.
"We really don't worry about the opposition, whoever they are — we worry about the La Vega Pirates and what we can do to put the best team on the field as possible," Hyde said.
"If you get too caught up in who you're playing it's not very good for your kids."
La Vega is currently hitting on all cylinders — they've played in different environments and under different weather conditions.
Despite the challenges, the team is seeing its hard work pay off.
"The biggest enjoyment for me as the head football coach here at La Vega High School is seeing the seeing the eyes light up in our players when they walk in there. That's the important part for me — it's very rewarding for me," Hyde said.
"I've had a tough year — I lost my stepmother last November and I lost my father in February — and so I kind of feel like two people are out there looking down on me, trying to make sure that I can experience the greatest thing ever."
Kickoff is set for 11:00 a.m. on Friday.
