The players and coaches of Patriot’s football team spend countless hours in the weight room and on the field, as well as in the classroom.

“We watch films and we work to be fundamentally sound,” Coach Kevin Kerns said, who plans to take the season one step at a time, “Our goal is to win the next game, then win the conference and make the playoffs, win that playoff game, win the region, then win states.”

Of course, getting to such a grand stage like state competition requires plenty of work on and off the field. It takes constant commitment to the team and staying in shape, which means doing the extra rep or running the extra lap, and playing for your teammates. At the same time, getting to that point means students must keep up with schoolwork and maintain good grades.

“Poise is the key to success,” Kerns said, who emphasizes to his team that everyone has a job on the field, and giving up on that job leads to the failure of the team. Like his fellow coach, head coach Brud Bicknell believes every player has a job on and off the field, especially the seniors.

“We expect our seniors to be leaders. They’ve been in the program for four years and they know what our expectations are on and off the field,” Bicknell said, “We expect them to work hard in the classroom, act responsibly in social situations, and work extremely hard in practice, leading by example.”

Even though seniors are looked at the most, Bicknell expects all of his players to fill the shoes of being a role model. However, that doesn’t mean all players are looked at equally to act as a role model.

“Guys like Jakai Moore, Jahmia Marcelle, Chris Sonnenberg, Tyler Negron, and Jalen Stroman have additional responsibilities because they’re all high level players,” Bicknell said, “Invariably, additional players will play at a high level and add to that leadership role.”

One thing that Bicknell believes to help the team reach the high level of play is how well they have bonded over the sport itself. 

“There is a camaraderie among players and coaches that I have not been able to experience in any other activity. The mutual love and respect that a football team has for each other is very unique. I get to associate with a great group of people and work for a common goal while playing a game that has very unique qualities that are unlike any other sport out there,” Bicknell said. “It is the ultimate team game.”

These coaches and players help to create memorable nights for all Patriot students who attend the football games, so in return we must cheer them on as they work day by day towards their ultimate goal: states. For updates on the football team and their schedule, follow @PatriotStrength on Twitter.