WACO, Texas (KXXV — The Waco Lions are in full gear as varsity held their first practice. It's a new era for the Lions as they get ready to take part in a new district.
"The oddest thing is that we are in a six team district. You gotta find five non district games. Kids are excited because, you know, that leaves the potential to make the playoffs and do what we want to do as far as team goals that much closer," Lions head football coach, Linden Heldt, said.
"I've been here since my freshman year. We went to the District of Doom. We didn't play everybody now. So I finally feel like we can do something in this district. We got a lot to prove in this district," said running back Mason Smith-Welcome.
The Lions finished 1-9 last season, but multiple games went down to a single possession. This season, they look to turn those close games into wins.
"We've closed the differential gap point differential gap by almost 200 points since we've been here and we've gotten tighter and closer and closer, and so I think the kids feel that we feel that it's time to kind of kick that door down," Heldt said.
"We fought a lot of things fought a lot of adversity and now now we just have to prove ourselves right — and we got to prove everybody wrong this year," Smith-Welcome said.
Now looking at this year,the Lions have a simple goal — be better.
"I'm hoping for like just to lead my team since I'm a senior now, it's my last year, so I've got to do what I've got to do at the end of the day," said slot receiver, Dewayne Simmons.
"We need to make the playoffs, hadn't been done here in a while, so we feel like we can," Heldt said.
The Lions begin the season on the road on August 30 against Granbury.
