Hockinson enters the 2026 football season with a veteran senior group providing leadership as the Hawks navigate a reshaped 2A Greater St. Helens League schedule.
For second-year head coach Ben Nelson, the focus heading into the season is less about worrying over a schedule the team cannot control and more about making the most of the opportunities in front of it.
“Football is football. And so we focused a lot about controlling what we can control,” Nelson said.
The Hawks have several seniors stepping into leadership roles, including captains Jack Robinson and Erdalbek Mailov. Rowen Matson is another returning two-way starter, while Mailov also returns as a two-way starter on the offensive and defensive lines.
Nelson said the senior group has embraced its responsibility, particularly with a large freshmen class joining the program.
“They’ve been good about being vocal leaders for the team,” Nelson said. “We got a big freshmen class, so they’ve been good about trying to lead that group and just set an example, which has been nice to see.”
Hockinson’s schedule presents a different challenge this season, with some former league matchups now classified as nonleague games. The Hawks have six games to develop before entering three division contests in weeks seven, eight and nine, when playoff opportunities will be at stake.
Nelson said the unusual format does not change the team’s overall objective.
“We know right now that we got six games to try to get better, and then we got three division games where the playoffs are on the line,” Nelson said.
With the division games still many weeks away, Nelson believes looking too far ahead would be counterproductive. Instead, Hockinson is concentrating on its opening game and building from there.
“We’re just trying to focus on the here and now and understand that we’ll put our best foot forward for week one,” Nelson said.
The Hawks’ immediate goal is straightforward: continue improving, build chemistry and put themselves in position to compete when the games carrying playoff implications arrive.
“I’m really only worried about week one right now and trying to put the best football team I can on the field together,” Nelson said.
Head coach: Ben Nelson
Classification: 2A
League: GSHL
2025 season stats:
Regular season: 2-7
League record: 2-5
