The Cabool Bulldogs enter the 2026 football season with a new head coach and a clear set of goals after a difficult couple seasons.
Matthew Rogers is beginning his first season as Cabool's head coach after spending the previous four years as an assistant with the Bulldogs. Prior to his time at Cabool, he coached as an assistant at Ava.
The Bulldogs went 1-9 last season and lost five seniors to graduation. Four seniors return this year, and each has been in the program for all four years of high school.
"They've been here all four years, and they will be two-way starters for us," Rogers said.
Cabool returns seven varsity starters on offense and five on defense. "We've got some new kids out, a few who didn't play last year,” Rogers added.
While some roles are set, competition remains at several positions along both lines.
"The secondary's pretty well set, they're our most experienced group," he explained. "We've still got position battles going on in the front seven on the offensive line and defensive line, so (we’re) seeing where that's going to settle at starting next week."
One player expected to be involved in several phases of the game is senior Briley Honeycutt.
"I would watch out for Briley Honeycutt," Rogers said. "He's going to be our lead back out of the T position. He's a guy that we want the ball in his hands as much as possible, because he's got the ability to score on any touch."
Rogers also expects Honeycutt to remain an important part of the defense, noting that the staff expects him to play at a very high level this year.
Senior Nate Long will provide experience on the offensive line. Long is a three-year starter at center and will be one of the players Rogers relies on to lead the group.
"He's the leader of the offensive line," Rogers said. "He did a good job on keeping the snapping clean last year. He's a player that we're going to lean on, as far as having solidarity beyond our offensive line."
Sophomore Ransen Kidwell will take over at quarterback. Rogers said Kidwell's progress has been encouraging as he prepares for his first season as the starter.
"We're really excited about how he's progressing," the coach said. "He brings a nice size and athleticism to the position."
Lucas Hong will have responsibilities on both sides of the ball, playing the F position on offense and linebacker on defense. Rogers said Hong's approach to the game has stood out during his development.
"He's turning into a really nice football player for us, and a player that we admire his work ethic — just a great coachable kid," said Rogers.
The Bulldogs will also look to senior Braylon Haywood to anchor the trenches as a four-year starter on the lines.
For Rogers, the biggest focus entering the season is changing the way the Bulldogs approach each game.
"We went through some lean times the past couple of years, the one victory in two years," Rogers said. "Our goals — we have four of them, starting back in spring ball. One was to play smarter, we got to play tougher, we’ve got to play a more physical brand of football."
The fourth goal, which Rogers called "major," is learning to compete consistently in the South Central Association (SCA).
"As you know the SCA is a conference that, we're the smallest school in it,” Rogers said. "A key part of being able to compete is we've got to be the toughest team on the field, we've got to be in shape."
Rogers said the Bulldogs will measure their progress by how well they can put those goals into practice each week.
Rogers said the team has responded to that challenge during the offseason, embracing the emphasis on toughness and improvement.
"We're flying around the football. The kids embraced a 'Hey, we've got to get tough' mentality, and they get better every day," said the coach. "If we accomplish some goals, if we play tougher, if we're smarter, if we're more physical, if we learn to compete — we'll have a successful season."
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