HEYWORTH, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) -- There's a preseason buzz with Heyworth Hornets.Heyworth brings back eight offensive starters and seven on defense from a team that won just the second playoff game in school history last fall. And that's making the players excited for the 2026 season."My freshman year we made the playoffs for the first time in a decade. We got knocked out in the first round," said senior lineman Jarrd Fulcher. "The feeling of winning a playoff game is like nothing else."Heyworth went 7-2 in the regular season last year. Then went on the road and beat Princeville in a first-round playoff game, giving the school its first postseason win since 2009.Fulcher is a key returner on the offensive and defensive lines. Running back Braydon Laesch, who rushed for over 1,200 yards and scored 22 touchdowns last year, figures to be a key part of the offense again.Versatile two-way player Caleb Troha also returns for the Hornets who have made the playoffs eight times in school history. But Heyworth has been a postseason team in two of the last three seasons which has the program moving forward in the tough Heart of Central Illinois Conference, which sent eight teams to the playoffs in 2025."We all expect to win. Our fans expect us to win," said Laesch. "Bringing it for them, doing it for them, it's what pushes us every day."Heyworth opens the season at Shelbyville on Aug. 21.Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com.