JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – According to the calendar the end July is about the midpoint of summer. However the fall and football season are right around the corner. On Monday more than 50 schools from all over the First Coast gathered at TIAA Bank Field for the 2018 Baker’s Sports High School Football Media Day.
Football is a year round commitment. There’s nothing fun or exciting about off-season conditioning, but as the calendar turns to August this is when all that hard work starts to pay off.
“Everybody making early morning workouts has been key,” said Trinity Christian receiver Isaiah Washington. “We try our best to work out as a team all summer, every summer.”
The district Trinity shares with Bolles, Ponte Vedra and Bishop Kenny is one of the toughest in the entire state of Florida.
“We’re prepared and we already know the type of competition that we’ll have,” said Bishop Kenny receiver Jonathan Jones. “We’ve got to be ready mentally and physically.”
Last year four teams from North East Florida played for the state title. The journey to Orlando (site of the State Championships) begins the week of August 17.
“We’ve been working so hard all summer to get back,” said Chase Hancock of Baker County, who last season played for the first state title in the 72 year history of their football program. “Expectations are high but we’re ready to meet all of those expectations.”
Of the four teams from the First Coast that played for the state championship a year ago, only Raines came home with a title.
“State Championship, nothing has changed,” said Raines running back Brandon Marshall, when asked what was their goal for this season. “Winning again is what a successful season looks like for us. We’re just grinding and taking things one day at a time and one game at a time."