CHESAPEAKE, VA (WTKR)- Hickory’s football team is flying high.
The Hawks have won six of their first seven games, their best start since 2011, rewarding a group that head coach Donnell Brown says has spent months putting in the work.
“I’m just happy for those kids,” Brown exclaimed. “Not just my seniors, but the whole team that’s been putting work in since the offseason and now they finally get to see some of the rewards.”
Those rewards have included plenty of reasons to celebrate, but perhaps none bigger than Hickory’s latest victory.
The Hawks rallied from a 21-0 deficit to beat Nansemond River 27-21, sealing the comeback with a goal-line stand. It marked just Hickory’s second win in the series in the last 15 years.
“We’re having a lot of fun out there,” Hickory senior linebacker Grayson Midgett said. “Especially with the upset last week against Nansemond [River], big comeback. We’ve definitely been enjoying it.”
For a program on the rise, the win provided another dose of confidence.
“It definitely means something to us, especially since a lot of people came into the season doubting us and overlooking the team,” Midgett noted.
Brown said maintaining belief has been an important part of Hickory’s emergence.
“We spoke positive, we spoke that belief, we kept speaking life into each other and now we’re seeing some rewards,” pointed out the head coach. “We’re just going to continue to speak life, continue to believe and hopefully take care of business on the field.”
Now comes an even bigger test.
Hickory faces undefeated King’s Fork, a perennial playoff contender that will give the Hawks another opportunity to measure themselves against one of the area’s top programs. The Bulldogs are 6-0 and one of two remaining unbeaten teams in the Southeastern District.
“King’s Fork has had a tradition of being talented, being well and having success,” Brown said. “They’re having a great year this year so we’re just excited for the opportunity to go out there and play in a great environment, a great game, so we’ll see how the boys play.”
The Hawks have certainly grabbed King’s Fork’s attention.
“They’re just very well coached and they’ve done an amazing job this season,” said King’s Fork head coach Anthony Joffrion. “Their quarterback play has been really good, the offensive line, defensive line. Overall, just a very well coached team, very disciplined and we definitely look forward to the challenge on Friday.”
Bulldog senior defensive back Jaylen Thomas said his team's focus is on itself.
“Just be disciplined as a team,” Thomas said of the Bulldogs' approach. “It’s not really them, it’s us. We’ve just got to be disciplined and keep playing ball.”
Friday’s matchup pits a usual title contender against a Hickory team trying to establish itself among the area’s heavyweights and for the Hawks, knocking off King's Fork would be their biggest statement yet.
“Any time you knock off one of these teams it’s another opportunity to ‘make a statement,’” Brown said. “But we’ve got to play football and we’re playing a great team.”
And even after Hickory’s impressive start, Midgett knows there are still skeptics.
“An upset Friday would be amazing for us, especially against such a tough team like King’s Fork,” pointed out the senior. “There are a lot of people still saying we haven’t played anybody so to get a victory like that would definitely be very important for the season.”
Hickory has not defeated King's Fork since 2011, which was also the program's last winning season. Kickoff between the Hawks and Bulldogs is set for 7 p.m. Friday night on King's Fork's home field.
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