HSFT Stop #15: East Webster
A year ago, East Webster was chasing history. Now, they’re chasing something even harder: repeat success.
The Wolverines return to the field as defending state champions for the first time ever, but head coach Ron Price knows last year’s trophy won’t win a single game this fall.
“We’re in new territory. You know, we’ve never been the defending state champion,” Price said. “So this is a new lesson for all of us as coaches. We’re trying to keep our kids hungry. We’re trying to keep them motivated. We’re trying to keep them focused on the task. You know, last year, I feel like we may have surprised some people by winning the state championship. Now that mark is on our back, you’re not going to surprise anybody. Everybody’s coming after you. So we’ve challenged these kids. You know, the bull’s-eye is on our back. Now we got to defend what’s already ours. We can’t let them take that away from us.”
That championship run put East Webster on the map, but it also put a target on their back. Every opponent on the schedule wants to be the team that takes down the champs, and the Wolverines will have to do it without many of the players who helped make history. Eighteen seniors graduated from last year’s team, leaving a new generation to carry the standard.
“The greatest thing about East Webster High School is when a challenge is presented to them, they usually step up to the challenge,” Price said. “We have a next man up mentality here. We graduated 18 seniors last year. The challenge to this team is we got to replace those guys. It’s your turn now. So you got to go be the man at your opportunity. And that’s what’s made this school successful. So hopefully this group will bond to that and that next man up mentality will continue to help us be successful.”
One of those players stepping into a bigger role is junior quarterback Kross Avent. He remembers the celebration and the feeling of holding that Gold Ball, but he also knows memories don’t win games.
“It’s still amazing, but we’ve got work to do for sure,” Avent said. “We lost a bunch of guys, and I think we got some young guys. I’ll step up and do the job for us. We’re working harder, though. We’re still hungry. You know, we lost a lot, like I said. And these young guys are hungry to step up and fill in the shoes.”
That mindset has become the driving force of this offseason.
“Hard work really does bring profit. Like that’s something that is thrown around Webster a lot, and it really does. We worked our tails off last year, and it really did pay off,” Avent said.
With so many new faces expected to contribute, leadership has taken on an even greater role. Linebacker Sproles Stewart has made it his mission to help the next group step up to the plate.
“I’m really trying to teach these younger guys,” senior linebacker Sproles Stewart said. “A lot of them are newer to the defense, and it’s really the first time playing. I really just try to step up, teach them, let them know what to do.”
While the state championship banner may hang inside the weight room, the message inside the locker room hasn’t changed. Last year is over, and the only thing that matters is the next game.
“Coach Price pushes us all the time. We won the state championship, but that was last year. And we’re focusing on this year. We’re trying to be one and oh and focusing on this next game,” Stewart said.
East Webster will begin its title defense on Aug. 21 against Amory.
