Lumberton Raiders will kick off their season at home against Nederland Bulldogs after a weather-altered scrimmage.
LUMBERTON, Texas — The final week of preseason action has come and gone as Southeast Texas prepares for the 2025 high school football regular season.
The Lumberton Raiders originally were scheduled to travel out to Hamshire-Fannett to face the Longhorns, but inclement weather forced the scrimmage to be played on the turf at Raider Stadium in Lumberton.
Headed into 2025, the Raiders return seven starters from last season — a boost in the second year under head coach Chase McDonald.
“Understanding what you’re doing is a huge part of football, and going into year two they should have a lot better understanding of what they’re trying to do and accomplish,” said McDonald on retaining the majority of his group offensively from last season.
The Raiders open the season at home against the Nederland Bulldogs.
McDonald said facing a team like Hamshire-Fannett is a good preview of the kind of physical play they’ll see against Nederland.
“I think they’re a very physical football team every single time you play them, so it’s a great test and a great attitude check going into Nederland,” McDonald said of Mark Waggoner’s Longhorns.
As for Hamshire-Fannett, the scrimmage also marked their final tune-up before hitting the road to face the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Bears next Friday night.
Replacing the type of talent that lifted the Longhorns to a district title in 2024 will be difficult, but a junior varsity squad that went 9-0 last season could help fill the gaps.
Both Lumberton and Hamshire-Fannett are aiming for significant steps forward in their programs’ journeys as the new season kicks off in just one week.
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