Tradition, experience and love: Hilburn shares his all to get Seneca back where it 'needs to be'

Dec. 14—SENECA, Mo. — Seneca football hadn't played for a state championship in 10 years. That absence from the big game ended this fall when third-year head coach Cody Hilburn led the Indians to Columbia.

The team ultimately came up short of a Class 3 state championship victory in a 48-34 loss to Park Hills Central on Dec. 1.

But coach Hilburn knows his kids put everything into getting to that game and didn't leave anything behind.

"We didn't win but our guys deserve a victory," Hilburn said. "Victory is never guaranteed with anything you do. If you don't do things right, I guarantee it won't go your way. So we talk about doing things the right way."

From working hard in the offseason all the way to the last game they earn to seniors leading by example and preparing for every game the same way, Hilburn has seen his kids do it the right way by their core values.

"We're back to where Seneca football needs to be. Our kids understand, this isn't something we want to do every 10 years," Hilburn said.

That understanding showed immediately following the state championship loss at Faurot Field in Columbia. As Hilburn began to console his seniors after the game he overheard some younger guys talking around him.

"I'm immediately hearing our underclassmen say 'We're coming back here,'" Hilburn said.

If the Indians continue in the pattern followed since Hilburn took over, that would be the case.

In his first season, Seneca won a district championship but lost in the state quarterfinals. Last year, it won the quarterfinal game but fell to Lamar in the semifinals. This season they won that semifinal game. So, if the team can take it one step further, it will win the state championship next year.

But the coach understands it doesn't happen that easily. He talked about the ability to check something off the list each year. First it was a district championship, next it was reaching a state semifinal and practicing football during Thanksgiving week and finally reaching a state title game.

Hilburn believes in his group of athletes because of their work ethic and their desire to be back in that game. One thing that is going to help them return to Faurot Field is being a part of a team the last few years that makes a deep postseason run. He sees that extra practicing late in the season as development for his younger kids as they battle daily with the upperclassmen.

Seniors such as Ethan Altic, Jackson Marrs, Morgan Vaughn, Gavyn Hoover and Brian Bigbee help to develop everyone below them and all the others — including senior classes that came before them.

Being a former Indian himself, Hilburn has the experience with this tradition, and he sees that being a potential benefit to the program.

"Having someone in there that understands all the tradition and all the history and knows what it means to put on your red jersey every time you go out there that you're representing more than yourself," Hilburn said. "You're representing everyone that came through before and wore that number."

Hilburn's experience within the Indians' tradition and rich history rubs off on the current players.

"I think just having a guy that can speak from experience," Hilburn said. "When I talk about those traditions, I was a part of it. I came through it. We're doing some of the same stuff as when I was a player. Some of the stuff that was taught to me by coach (Tom) Hodge."

Coach talked about the experience from his point of view in his first state title appearance as a head coach.

"Everyone kept telling me to take a moment and enjoy it. You really can't," Hilburn said. "You just gotta go. You have to work and you have to try and get everything in place to get your kids ready to play the game."

He went into detail about the shorter week after playing on a Saturday in the semifinals to playing the next Friday for the title. His schedule was hectic from a busy itinerary for the weekend to prepping for the game and he didn't see a moment to really stop and enjoy it.

But Hilburn left a similar message and told his kids this:

"When you walk out of that locker room and your entire community is in the stands, you need to take a moment and truly appreciate that."

His response to seeing that community support in Columbia:

"We didn't win the game, but I'll tell you, I'll never forget that moment."

Up until that weekend, Hilburn's best memory as a coach came while he was at Carthage under Jon Guidie.

"My 10 years at Carthage, I was very happy," Hilburn said. "The only place I would have left Carthage and went back to is Seneca. ... We won the state championship in 2019 at Carthage that was obviously a highlight in my coaching career. But it did feel different this year being back where you're from and the sense of pride you have to take your home team to the state championship game."

Since he's been back with the Indians he's called the support from everyone around him "overwhelming." He appreciates his job and the opportunity to lead his alma mater. So much so that he has made sure to leave his team with three words after every single practice.

"Every day I made it a goal — when I break practice, I tell our kids I love them," Hilburn said. "And we're very comfortable saying that to each other. I've been blessed with three great daughters in life, and didn't have any sons and I think there's a reason for that. I get a lot of them every football season."