#HSFT16: Stop No. 34 – Belmont Cardinals

BELMONT, Miss. (WCBI Sports) – Belmont is tired of losing. That’s what the players said this summer. They’ve had three wins each of the last three years and say they’re ready to put in the work to get above .500.

“Our senior class has been working since they were freshman to get to this point,” senior lineman Jeremiah Hughes said. “We expect to have a winning season.”

“This team has put in a lot of hard work. I know when we get on the field we’ll be a whole lot better this season,” senior lineman Camron Sauls said.

There are ten seniors on this 3A team. Seven guys graduated but the Cardinals are excited about the experience returning.

“Their words were, ‘I’m tired of losing’,” offensive coordinator Kevin Deaton said. “We’ve got some good athletes. If we can build some depth, we can win some ball games.”

Deaton has been an assistant coach at the school for 16 years. Former assistant Jason Coker is heading into his second season as head coach.

“Coach Coker, he’s done a wonderful job. All these coaches are pushing us,” Sauls said.

Belmont had a stretch of six-straight playoff appearances in the not-too-distant past.

“It means something to them,” Deaton said, of that run. “They remember those classes. Things haven’t gone their way. They’re tired of it.”

It’s a basketball-centered town but it’s a spirited community for all the Cardinals’ sports, the team said.

“A lot of people think about basketball but even when we haven’t won a lot of games, those stands are full,” Deaton said.

Running back Peyton Reeves will return this year to lead the offense. Deaton said depth will be a key. Belmont feels it lost a few leads last year because it couldn’t keep up.