Playing for a state football championship in Texas is a major endeavor.
After winning the Class 4A, Division II state football championship in 2017, Pleasant Grove made an improbable return to the state title game in 2018.
The Hawks returned just three starters on offense and four on defense from 2017's 16-0 squad.
Despite a 40-28 loss to Cuero in the 2018 state championship game, Pleasant Grove head coach Josh Gibson said the players reached their full potential.
The Hawks finished at 13-3, which gave the graduating seniors a combined record of 29-3 within the past two years (a 91 percent win percentage).
Pleasant Grove racked up six superlatives on the All-District 6-4A football team and had one second-team All-State player in senior Tyler Kelley.
The Hawks' success stems from many things. Among those is the players' willingness to put their hearts and souls into everything that they do-being the best athletically, academically and socially.
Gibson and the rest of the Pleasant Grove coaching staff are another reason Pleasant Grove has excelled. Gibson said that once the Hawks became state champions, the players more easily bought into the program. He said he also gives each player his heart in hopes of reciprocation.
The community has been an unsung hero for Pleasant Grove's football team. The fans have supported the Hawks and have volunteered many hours for the school-whether they were serving breakfast or decorating cars, locker rooms and hotels.
Work ethic is another aspect that led Pleasant Grove back to the state championship game. The players put in hours of work outside of practice in honing their skills, becoming stronger and developing stamina.
The Hawks' coaching staff also work long hours during the football season in reviewing film, devising game strategies and preparing the players for the next opponent.
Playing as a team, not as individuals, has helped propel Pleasant Grove to the top.
A lot of the success the Hawks have earned was birthed from the team concept-work together to achieve goals.
Pleasant Grove put all aspects together in consecutive years, which resulted in excellence.