After a breakout 8-3 campaign in Jake Goosen-Brown’s debut season as head coach, Hart football isn’t just looking to repeat last year’s success; they’re aiming to redefine it.

Under center for Hart is second-year starter, senior quarterback Jacob Paisano, who made waves with over 2,000 passing yards and a league-best QB rating — all in just nine games.
Now, with that strong foundation laid, the expectations are higher, the chemistry stronger, and the goals clearer. With key players returning and new faces stepping up to fill big shoes, the 2025 season is full of promise.

“We were really trying to focus on the weight room this last season,” said Goosen-Brown. “We really made a big push for how important that is to winning games on the field. Our guys have been super committed to the weight room; we’ve been lifting since two weeks after the season ended last year.”

He also noted that Paisano has added 20 pounds of muscle over the offseason. Matix Frithsmith, who had a breakout season last year as a sophomore, also put on 20 pounds of muscle.

During his debut varsity season last year, Frithsmith accumulated 501 receiving yards and 357 rushing yards.

During the offseason, several players packed on extra muscle. Throughout that experience in the weight room and after, as players hit the field for additional work, bonds were formed.

“We’ve been in the weight room since the season ended, every morning at 6 a.m. and encouraging our teammates too because I put on weight and a lot of other people have too,” said Paisano.

Paisano, who is entering his senior year, says he looks at everyone on the team as a senior because, while this is his last season at Hart, he wants everyone else to play this season as if it were their last.

 Frithsmith echoed the sentiment that the weight room has been a big focus over the offseason, saying, “We’ve had a lot of time in the weight room getting bigger and stronger over the offseason.”

He added that the team has also been on the field getting faster and working on their footwork.

As Frithsmith prepares to take on a bigger role offensively, he has been watching film after practice to analyze how he can better stem and stick his routes.

Side by side, Frithsmith and Paisano have been putting in the work and developing timing, rhythm and a shared sense of accountability.

“I’ve definitely built more of a connection with [Frithsmith] this offseason,” said Paisano. 

On top of getting reps in during practice, the duo has even gotten in some extra practice to solidify their chemistry.

As Paisano has built more of chemistry with Frithsmith. Paisano has also been growing his relationship with Goosen-Brown.

“We’ve spent so much time together over these times through the season, meeting all the time and during the offseason,” said Goosen-Brown. 

Through the connection, the two have become one mind, and Goosen-Brown says it’s great because it’s like having another coach on the field. He added that as a quarterback, you are a leader, like it or not, but Goosen-Brown is pleased that Paisano not only takes on the burden but welcomes it.

It’s not just Paisano and Goosen-Brown or Frithsmith that share a connection, but this is something that runs throughout the Hart program.

“I think we have a really strong bond as brothers,” said Frithsmith.

Goosen-Brown also highlighted the impact of younger players gaining varsity experience early — something that’s already paying dividends across the program with players such as Frithsmith and Silas Tucker, who is a current sophomore.

“They’ve already been there before. They’ve been in the big games, the big moments, they know what it takes,” said Goosen-Brown. “They had disappointments last year and they don’t want to have that happen again, so they have been working hard to make sure we write any wrongs we faced last year.”

With leadership locked in, chemistry at an all-time high, and a program built for long-term success, Hart heads into the 2025 season not just ready to compete but ready to lead.

The first game of their season will be a road test on Friday at 7 p.m. against Birmingham. 

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