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Year four under head football coach Quinn Hambrite will see the Charles Henderson Trojans look to make the playoffs for a third consecutive season.

Charles Henderson will have to replace a number of key players across the team, including All-State athletes like Jywon Body, Parker Adams and Zion Grady. The Trojans still feature a number of veteran returners, however, like tight end Noah Greene, running back Antonio Frazier, defensive end Quay Grimes and offensive lineman Kingston Sharp.

Charles Henderson has been a member of Class 5A, Region 2 in 22 of the last 24 years – dropping down to Class 4A for two seasons in 2012 and 2013 – and this season that region will have a slightly different look. Rehobeth has moved up to Class 6A with the Andalusia Bulldogs moving up into Class 5A to take their spot in the region. Additionally, the Montgomery-Catholic Knights are also moving up from 4A into the region after a dominant two-year run in that classification.

Charles Henderson will start off the year with the annual preseason jamboree against the Pike County Bulldogs in Brundidge on Aug. 23 before opening up the regular season with three consecutive home matchups. First up, the Trojans face off against Class 2A’s Highland Home Flying Squadron on Aug 29 in a Thursday night matchup. It’s the first time the two schools have played since 2004, a 42-0 Trojan victory, and just the second time they’ve ever played. The Squadron are coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons.

On Sept. 6, CHHS opens up region play against the Greenville Tigers and then hosts the Carroll Eagles in another region game on Sept. 13. The Trojans are on the road for another region showdown on Sept. 20 against Montgomery-Catholic. The two sides met last in 2021, a 50-0 Knights win. Montgomery-Catholic holds a 2-1 edge over the Trojans all-time. The Knights are coming of a 15-0 season and 4A State Crown last season. In the last five years, Montgomery-Catholic has gone a combined 65-6 with five region championships, a 3A state runner-up finish and a 4A State Championship.

Charles Henderson remains on the road on Sept. 27 at the 6A Benjamin Russell Wildcats in a non-region game. This will be the first time the two schools have ever met in the regular season. Benjamin Russell is coming off a 10-3 season under head coach Smitty Grider. Grider began at Benjamin Russell in 2022, taking over a school that had not had a winning season since 2018.

The Trojans are back at home for another region clash with Andalusia on Oct. 4. The last time the two schools faced off was in 2021, a 58-28 Bulldog win. CHHS trails Andalusia in the all-time series between the two schools 37-39-4. Andalusia has bounced between 4A and 5A since 2019 and has found plenty of success under head coach Trent Taylor. The Bulldogs have won at least 10 games in six of his nine seasons at the helm. Andalusia earned a state championship in 2022.

After a bye week on Oct. 11, the Trojans will return to the road for the final three games of the season. First up, Charles Henderson faces the Headland Rams in a region game and then travels to face the reigning region champion Eufaula Tigers for the final region matchup of the season. The Trojans close out the regular season on the road at the Pike Road Patriots on Oct. 31 in a non-region game.

Charles Henderson has never defeated Pike Road on the gridiron, holding an 0-3 record against the Patriots including a 60-6 loss the last time the two schools played in 2021. Pike Road is entering its third season in Class 6A, coming off an 11-3 season in 2023. The Patriots won the State Championship in their last season in 5A in 2021.