Last week marked not only the beginning of another school year, but also the start of another exciting year for Mansfield High School football. Students gathered at Newsom Stadium this past Friday to cheer on the Tigers as they played against FM Marcus.

Not only are students hyped for the new season, but players and coaches alike are ready to dominate their opponents this year.

“I [was] very excited about the first game,” head coach Jeff Hulme said. “I’ve been coaching for 23 years, so I don’t really get nervous anymore.”

A key player to look for on Fridays and throughout the rest of his high school career is junior Kennedy Brooks.

“I can’t wait to get on the field and show what our team can do,” Brooks said. “Our strong point has always been our offense line allowing us to run with the ball with power.”

For some seniors this can be a nostalgic time due to this being their last first game of high school football.

“It’s really bittersweet to know this is the end of my football career, but at the same time it’s really exciting,” senior Zayne Johnson said. “The first game is always fun to see how everything will play off out and how much practice has paid off.”

Unfortunately, Mansfield lost against FM Marcus, 17-27, but the student body has faith that the Tigers can turn that loss around and have an amazing season.

“We still have a long season ahead of us and a lot of games left,” senior Sterling Savell said.