HENRYVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) — People who grew up in the small town of Henryville never got the chance to play high school football, but all that changes Friday night.
Henryville Junior/Senior High School has been around for more than 100 years and has never had a football program.
For the first time ever, students will get to experience a Friday night under the lights.
Head Coach Joe Johnson said it's been four years in the making, and they started from the ground up.
"I knew it could be done; it was just the fact that we needed the right people backing us and the community showed up in droves," said Johnson.
Johnson was coaching the youth league at Silver Creek when he was approached by the Henryville principal and boys' basketball coach. They asked him if he would be an architect of the football program.
"I said I’m not doing it unless you’re serious. They were very serious about it," said Johnson.
So, he wrote a five-year plan which started with creating a youth league and building up from there.
Now the Henryville Hornets get to play Clarksville High School in its first ever varsity game for a trophy. The game is being coined the Battle of the Villes.
"Coach Hawkins asked if we would be okay with playing them for the first game every year to make a big to do about it because Clarksville and Eastern just joined our conference," said Johnson, "I said, 'I'm okay with that under one condition, make it worthwhile for the kids, play for a trophy.'"
Juniors Braydan Lienhart, Elijah Dolbeare and Steven Mercer said they're excited to be a part of it.
"I've been hyped since I woke up, every day since Monday," said Mercer.
"We've always been seen as underdogs, you know, nobody expects us to really do anything with sports, so this is a big opportunity, and I think us having this program now is great," said Dolbeare.
The Hornets have two varsity games this year along with several junior varsity games. The program is in the second year of the two-year probationary period the IHSAA requires for new programs.
This is a huge step towards next year when the team expects to have a full varsity season, an eligibility to compete in the state tournament and the ability to play on a brand-new football field.
"Yes, we are a small school, yes we’re surrounded by much larger schools, but why can’t we?" said athletic director, Jacob Johanningsmeier.
The Hornets play Clarksville Friday night at 7 p.m.
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