By ELI BLANKINSHIP
Tiger Media Network
After finishing last season 7-4 and fifth in the MIAA, the Fort Hays State University Tigers are ready to kick off the season against top-25 opponent Angelo State. This will be the first meeting in program history for both teams.
The Angelo State Rams completed the 2023 season with a record of 7-3 and finished third in the Lone Star Conference.
FHSU Heach Coach Chris Brown and his team have spent the summer preparing for the 2024 football season.
“We’re ready,” Brown said. “The kids have done a great job at practice in the last three and a half weeks. I feel like these kids really did what they needed to do in the summer to prepare themselves for this moment and I’m excited for this Thursday.”
The Tigers lost their last two games of the 2023 season after going on a five-game winning streak, and according to Brown, the team is hoping to prove any doubters wrong.
“You can tell they’re hungry. They went 7-4 last year, you can tell they want better than that this year,” Brown said. “They came to practice every single day ready to get after it. They’re not satisfied, I feel like we have a bunch of kids right now that have a little chip on their shoulder and feel like they have a lot to prove.”
This will be the first non-conference regular season game for FHSU since 2013 and only the third game against a team from Texas in school history. FHSU will also be searching for a win in its home opener for the first time since 2018.
On defense, the Tigers are led by D2CCA All-Super Region 3 recipient linebacker John Johnson. Johnson recorded 89 tackles in 2023.
“Yeah, it feels good, I try to stay humble. That’s what I can do; put the team first. I’m still hungry. I’m not satisfied,” Johnson said when asked about his recognition.
With 20 total returning starters, the Tigers’ chemistry will be something that may give FHSU a competitive edge against opponents.
On the offensive side of the ball, FHSU welcomed a new offensive coordinator, Tom Ross. Senior wide receiver Trevor Watts values what Ross brings to the table.
“Coach Ross has been great. He’s a player’s coach,” Watts said. “He gets to know every single one of us, talks to us daily, and it’s not like he came in and changed everything, which is nice because it would be a lot harder for all of us to learn a new system.”
Angelo State’s defense will be a good first test for the new offensive coordinator. The Rams only allowed 17.4 points per game in 2023.
Angelo State’s pass defense allowed just 132.1 yards per game in the 2023 season; as a result, the Tigers will need to try to find success on the ground. Last season, FHSU was 6-1 when they rushed for more than 100 yards in a game and will likely rely on their senior running back duo Shane Watts and Travis Dixion, who both averaged over 50 yards per game, to crack the Ram’s defense.
FHSU and Angelo State kickoff at 7 p.m. tonight at Lewis Field Stadium. Tiger Media Network will have coverage postgame and will broadcast the game live on The MIAA Network.