Our football players have been working hard on the field and in the classroom. They have realized that to keep their head in the game they have to keep their nose in the books. To be able to get their helmet and jersey, football team members need a 2.0 GPA. The ability to multitask between school, work, and sports is what attracts collegiate officials.

“It has been proven that after the NFL, players have either started their own business, or they tend to fall back on whatever they studied in college to make a living,” teacher Charles Hemphill said.

Our patriot boys do so much for our school, on the field and off the field. They know their role as leaders for the school, but the student body could do more to help the players. All the students have to do is to stay positive. It is always the twelfth man who truly has an impact on the team. The twelfth man is not an official team member; it’s the fan base that backs up the field. It has been proven that when fans are present and cheering the team on, team confidence levels increase. The athletes want to play harder when they know that their school has their back.

According to the Yerkes Dodson’s Law Theory of Social Facilitation, the mere presence of other people will enhance the performance in speed and accuracy of well-practiced tasks.

“We are more of a family then a team, we just haven’t put all the puzzle pieces together,” Junior Sayff Saed said. “But we will continue to improve.”