After making three consecutive championship appearances, the pressure is on the Yellow Jacket football team now more than ever.

Losing to Long Island Post 58-25 in the championship game, and on top of that losing 17 seniors, makes this spring football season way more crucial for the Yellow Jacket football team.

This spring season is the time for the team to focus on the upcoming season and rebuild the areas that are needing replacements.

Head Coach Art Wilkins promises to look to the younger players on the team to step up and contribute. Coach Wilkins has implemented a five strike and 5:30 a.m. conditioning policy, where the players are allowed five strikes of misconduct until they are kicked off the team. The misconducts that would give you a 5:30 a.m. conditioning are: late to study hall, late to lift, late to practice, late to meetings, and misbehaving in class or study hall.

Misconducts that will give you a 5:30 a.m. conditioning and a strike are: missing study hall, missing lift, missing practice, missing meetings, and certain acts of misbehaving. He implemented this five-strike policy so that we would become more of a team and become more disciplined.

Needless to say, the policy is working well.

The spring schedule consists of three practices a week, two morning lifts, conditioning sessions, and film sessions throughout the week. The team will have 14 practices in total before the Spring Game concluding the practices. The date of the spring game is unknown as of now, but will be posted in the near future.

“You can already tell everyone’s mind set is more focused,” said senior safety Darion Chappel. “The spring practices have been way more lively and competitive than previous years.”

The Yellow Jackets are going to have a young team this year, with a big target on their back.

With 17 seniors gone, it opens up a whole wide realm of opportunity for the freshman, sophomores and juniors who all been licking their chops to get the opportunity to step on the field Saturday afternoons.

Look for replacements at every position set on the offensive and defensive side. For those players who have waited for their opportunity to shine, their time is nearing and hope to carry on the success that the Yellow Jackets have brought the program and community in the past.

Even though the team is young compared to previous years the coaching staff looks to leave were they left off, but this time to end the season right and that is with a win in the Championship Game. The coaching staff has not missed a beat from last season and if anything worked the football team to their physical limit day in and day out, stressing to the players that they will not take it easy on the young men because of in experience.

Although the band of brothers look to rebuild they are aware that it will not be easy; with most of the players called upon to step up, many of which had their last game their senior year of high school. The team looks to get the growing pains and get knock the rust of their system early on now, so once camp in the summer rolls around all it is, is polishing things up getting ready to roll on opening day.

Look forward to an interesting and exciting year of football for the Yellow Jackets all in pursue of bringing home another Championship!

GO YELLOW JACKETS!