The Jay High School football team is enduring the heat like many area teams training for the upcoming season. In order to play in cooler temperatures, the team recently switched their daily practices from late afternoons to early mornings.
In his fifth year as head football coach, Kent Smith said there is a lot of ahead for the 31-player roster.
“We are not where I want to be, but we are getting there,” he said. “If we could do a little better every day, then we will be doing good.”
The Royals finished last season with a second consecutive winning season and a record of 5-4, Smith said this upcoming season will prove as a challenge for this year’s squad.
“We have a tough schedule this year, we are going to need play good if we are going to have another winning season,” he said.
Victor Mishoe, the team’s starting quarterback has high expectations for this season.
“I don’t have any doubt that we win the district championship,” he said. “Those are high expectations but those are the best expectations.”
In addition to seeing improvement on the Royal’s offensive line play along with running and passing games, Mishoe also likes what he has seen from the incoming players.
“They are a great group of freshmen,” he said. “They don’t fuss and whine, they make us better every day.”
Coach Smith said several 9th grade players are expected to start on varsity this season.
Jordan Madden, an offensive lineman for the Royals, said the entire team shares the same mentality towards the upcoming season.
“All of the attitudes are great,” Madden said. “It’s a great environment down here in Jay, we really enjoy each other, lifting each other up and getting better as a team.”
Madden hopes the same mentality will carry the team well into the season.
“We really want to carry that and ride on that through the rest of the season,” he said.
Smith said the team is preparing for ‘Royal Night’ on Friday, a scrimmage football game featuring incoming players all the way to varsity players. The following Friday, the school will host rival Baker School during the school’s kick-off classic.
“In that one, our seventh and eighth grade team will play a quarter, our back-up and their (junior varsity) will play a quarter and varsity will play second half,” Smith said.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Jay football players prep for 'Royal Night'