Excitement continues to build around the inaugural season of the Christian County High School Tigers’ football season.
The Planters Bank-Jennie Stuart Health Sportsplex played host to a high school football media day Saturday and Tigers’ Head Coach Dustin Lopez expectations are high for the team in 2026.
The new Christian County High School is the consolidation of Hopkinsville High School and Christian County High School, bringing together two programs with four state titles between them.
Lopez said the players, who were opponents last season, bonded quickly and bought into his system.
Senior linebacker Paul Abren, who was one of the leading tacklers for the Christian County Colonels last season, said he already has felt a change in culture with the new Christian County Tigers.
The Tigers open the season Aug. 21, and the schedule says at home against Cooper. However, renovation of the Stadium of Champions as they install turf, still is not complete. Lopez would not comment on if he thought the first game would have to be moved to Cooper.
But he said once the turf is installed, it will be an advantage to the team having two different field types for practice, depending on the opponent.
The Tigers open the season against perennial Class 6-A power Cooper and then go on the road for four straight weeks against Mayfield, McKenzie, Tenn., Daviess County, and South Warren.
Lopez said his team must be ready to play meet the challenge of one of the toughest schedules in the state.
Fans can get their first look at the Tigers’ Aug. 7, when they scrimmage Clarksville Northeast. Christian County also is scheduled to scrimmage DuPont Manual in Louisville on Aug. 14.
Photos by Joe Wilson