2024 Record: 14-1
Head coach: Chad Griffin
2023: There is no question that last season was a dream year for the Hart County Raiders football program. Chad Griffin had saw gradual improvement in the Raiders since his arrival and rebuilding the culture came to fruition with 14-straight wins including a Region Title and a Final Four title game at Munfordville as the town was taken for one heck of a ride. Now, the task becomes “What Next?” Their impressive record was a result of a very talented senior class and with their graduation there will be plenty of questions and hopefully several answers as the season approaches.
Offense: The Raiders were a very effective team blowing up scoreboards all over the place as they scored 626-points, a huge improvement from the 430 from 2022. Griffin created a strong and powerful running game centered around Hunter Monroe, Clark Rexroat, Joshua Dan Crump and Jordan Bradley. Between the four, they compiled over 4,000-yards rushing and the first order of business will be to find replacements. Quarterback Jacob Shoulders will be back after throwing for over 1,000-yards and 15-TDs as opposed to just 2-interceptions. With Jaxson Shoulders and Rexroat gone, Kohnner Trent (who led the team with 22-catches) will be back and Griffin will look for other targets in the passing game. The OL did lose Jaren Gedda, Logan Grider, Asher Avery and Kaden Trent with just Tone Vion Crockett returning so replacements will be found as will depth.
Kicking game: Johnathan Gardner, who was 40-43 PATs is gone so another kicker will be found.
Defense: The Raiders were just as effective on defense as they allowed only 178-points in fourteen games as opposed to 233 in 2022. With several skill performers gone, there will be different faces back there as well. Joshua Crump will be gone from the DL, but Madden Morgan, Landyn Nunn and Jake Crump will return to a line which helped sack QBs 16 times. The Linebackers will lose Jaxson Shoulders, who led the defense with 62-tackles and AD Milby who had 48-tackles, but Christian Martin, Brennan Griffin, Kenner Walters and Kameron Asbury will return. The defensive backfield will also lose Clark Rexroat, but Kohnner Trent, who nabbed 5-of the team’s 13-interceptions will return to man the defense.
Summation: Getting to the top is hard. Staying there even harder. 2024 will be a great test for the Raiders and Griffin still has quite a few experienced athletes available. When Griffin took the job as football coach very few saw much of a high water mark than say seven or eight wins, but last year the team exceeded that and more exciting not just a school, but an entire town as the Raiders took everyone on a long and magical ride. Whether that ride comes to an end sometime soon remains to be seen, but at least for one more season, there should be plenty of surprises as for at least 2024 in Munfordville, KY “Football is a lot of Fun.”
