The hunger and desire to return to the state football championship game could be the motivation needed when the Belfry Pirates kick off the season next month at CAM Stadium.
The Pirates failed to reach the title game this past season for the first time since 2009.
Belfry has played for the championship 13 times, including 12 of those under current head coach Philip Haywood, and have won six.
“We’ve got a long road ahead of us before we can even think about making the playoffs,” Haywood, Kentucky’s winningest coach said. “We are taking it one game at a time and try to get better as we go.”
Senior quarterback Avery Browning will guide the Pirates. He passed for 730 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2017 and ran for 425 yards and eight scores.
He will be joined in the backfield by juniors Peyton Hensley and Ben Bentley, along with sophomore Isaac Dixon. All three played keys rushing the football one year ago.
Belfry is coming off an 11-2 season, which ended in a playoff loss on the road to Louisville Central.
The Pirates face a difficult road ahead when they open with West Virginia power Huntington High on Aug. 24 in the Pike County Bowl.
Other home games include Bryan Station (Aug. 31); Newport Central Catholic (Sept. 7); Floyd Central (Sept. 28); Cabell-Midland, W.Va. (Oct. 5); and Pike Central (Oct. 19).
Road games include Pikeville (Sept. 14); Sheldon Clark (Sept. 21); Lawrence County (Oct. 12); and Johnson Central (Oct. 26).
“We are excited about the season and getting out there on Friday nights,” Haywood said. “We just hope by the end of October we are playing our best football.”