With the 2025-26 school year now officially started, some of Hickman’s fall sports seasons are underway. From football to volleyball, cross country or tennis, Kewpies are represented in a vast array of sports.

Last year, with the hiring of former Kewpie Justin Conyers as head coach, was a season of new beginnings for the Hickman football team. Finishing the season at 4-6, and making an almost complete turnaround from the year before, where the Kewpies finished 0-10. Conyers flipped the script and the perception of the team, becoming less about losing and closer to winning. 

“It’s not just about the culture of our program…it’s the culture of our school. There’s been such a negative mindset on Hickman football over the past decade that it’s going to take a lot of trust building and culture changing in our program to help shape the culture of the school back to believing in us,” Conyers said.

One of Conyer’s keys to success, and an important part of the Hickman team, is how he structures leadership. As head coach, he feels it doesn’t solely come from himself but from the players themselves.

“We want our program to be player-led. At the end of the day, I’m not the one [who] plays on Friday nights…there needs to be trust, love, and a brotherhood between our kids.” Conyers said.

While football is a fall sport, it takes a great deal of preparation, a lot of which takes place during the summer months. Conyers not only used this as an opportunity to improve their skills, but grow leadership.

“Every Monday in July, we had leadership meetings…45 minutes before practice as a team. We’d present a leadership topic, ask questions and make kids step out of their comfort zone. From that, we developed a 13-person leadership council.” Conyers said.

Last Friday, Hickman hosted Marquette High School’s football team and won 48-14 to start the season with a winning record. However, Conyers’ goals for the team don’t stop at winning as many games as possible or limiting the turnover margin; they center on the character of each and every member of the roster.

“We’re building high-character people. Nobody’s perfect, but if I can teach you how to be a better person, then someday when you’re a husband, father, or boss, you’ll have the tools to succeed.” Conyers said.