The start of a new season with the Carterville Lions football team had the first game was played against the Benton Rangers. The first half of the match was tiring and challenging, with no touchdowns gotten and very low yardage gained on both sides. 

In the second quarter, the Lions scored their first touchdown with no extra point. Senior Peyton Vanhorn remarked about the importance of “staying hydrated and stretching kept us going.” The heat took a toll on the players, but they kept pushing through to keep Benton from scoring for the rest of the second quarter.

In the second half, the Lions took the lead and were working hard to hold that lead against Rangers, and senior Aiden Hinton had worked hard to get touchdowns for the team and further their domaniance against the Rangers. “Personally, I think that the Benton defense in the second half played somewhat good, but overall, I do believe that our defense and offense teammates did the best and absolutely destroyed them” said senior Brandon Skelcher.

During the second half of the game, the lions scored multiple times, ensuring their win against the Rangers. Sophomore Andrew Johnson started defense as a linebacker. He said, “It felt great to be on the field with everyone else and be able to play that hard and get the W.” Overall, the Carterville Lions football team were successful in their first game. With many doubts from those around them, the lions proved many people wrong.