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Weather permitting, on Friday night Chambers Academy will take the field for a homecoming game against Morgan Academy. This homecoming will be a bittersweet one. 

Morgan Academy will be playing without their starting quarterback, Caden Tellier, who died after collapsing on the field during a game earlier in the season. With all the festivities that come with a celebration, it will also be a reverential day for the Rebels. 

“We’re talking to them about playing in memory of him,” said Jason Allen, Chambers Academy head coach. “And honor him by the way we play. Just don’t take any day for granted on this earth, every day is a gift, and every time we get to practice and every time we get to play is a gift that we’re not promised.”

At Rebel Field, a maroon 17, Tellier’s number, hangs on the press box. The players have worn a 17 sticker on their helmets since Tellier’s passing. It will undoubtedly be an emotional game. Allen expects both teams to play hard on Friday. 

“I think they’re playing for him, you know, and there’s a lot to be said for that. You can see it by the way, the effort that they give,” Allen said. 

The Senators fell to region frontrunner Fort Dale Academy last week in overtime. They are 1-2 on the season, having won their home opener. 

“We got to be ready for them and match the intensity that they’re going to bring to the game.

As they approach mid-season Allen said the team has come a long way. 

“We’ve gotten better at cutting down on our mistakes, our self-inflicted things, turnovers, penalties,” he said. “We lost the first game of the year because of turnovers, so I think we’ve done a good job of minimizing that…We’ve become more disciplined. I think it’s a discipline thing.”

However, the Rebels still have room to grow. They have relied on the run game so far this season. While junior quarterback Landon Hand has found his legs, rushing for 145 yards last week against Edgewood, he still is finding his arm.  

“We would like to get better at throwing football every week…We want to become more balanced,” Allen said. We’ve run for a lot more yards than we’ve thrown for this year, and we run it a lot more times.”

With circumstances like playing Morgan Academy and celebrating homecoming, focus is going to be key for the players.

On keeping his guys focused Allen said, “Make the main thing the main thing. I mean, there is no homecoming without a football game. And that’s what everybody comes to see…We want the kids to enjoy the festivities of the week that go along with homecoming, but keep in perspective, ‘What’s the main thing?’ And that’s how we play on Friday night.”