'This is just one step'

RAWSON -- Wins have been tough to come by for the Cory-Rawson football program. The Hornets have not won more than two games in a season since 2018 and haven't had a non-losing season since 2010. But there seemed to be a new feeling in Rawson this year. New head coach Eric Heffner – an assistant with the Hornets for the past three seasons – stressed in a preseason interview that he wanted his players to play hard and enjoy themselves. They certainly did Friday night. In the season opener against Arcadia, Cory Rawson coughed up an early two touchdown lead, only to rally in the fourth quarter and come away with a 29-22 win. The program, which was 1-9 last season, stormed the field and celebrated as the final seconds creeped off the clock. Heffner was even the recipient of a Gatorade bath from his players. "I saw it coming," Heffner admitted afterward. "But I think the players, they forced it on me." The celebration was sweet for the Hornets, but Heffner said that he doesn't want it to be a high point of the season. "It's nice to get the first win, but this is just one step," Heffner said. "We're hoping to come back to work next week and keep getting better, because we've got some good teams up on the schedule, still." The next test for the Hornets comes Friday, when the Hornets travel to McGuffey to take on Upper Scioto Valley, who suffered a heartbreaking loss to Ada, 15-14, in Week 1, Despite that loss, USV has had some success recently. It was 8-2 last season and qualified for the playoffs. One of those wins was against Cory-Rawson, as the Rams won the 2023 matchup 56-14. But Hunter Niese – who took center stage in C-R's win over Arcadia with two touchdown runs, an interception and a late touchdown pass on a trick play – says the Hornets are a different squad in '24. "Everybody comes together. We rally together, rally to the ball and hit some people," Niese said. "It's a new Cory-Rawson ball team over here." Only time will tell how different of a team it is, but Niese, Heffner and the rest of the Hornets are certainly off to a good start.