The Waverly High School football team has put in a lot of work this off-season, and they have spent most of it in the weight room. The summer workouts have allowed this group to get closer and gives them hope this year can be special.
"We bonded through that weight room and getting out here doing skill training in the summertime. Last year, we didn't do any 7-on-7s. We didn't do any team or big man camps," head coach Deyeya Jones said.
Senior defensive end Justice Dungey has seen the ups and downs with this program, but the brotherhood the team has built this time around can serve them well.
"Me and my teammates are always around each other on and off the field, that creates a pretty tight bond out of all my years being at Waverly, I feel like as a team this is the strongest bond we ever had," Dungey said.
This team is pumped and ready to make this year count.
"I'm very excited, it's going to be our best year, " running back Jahi Wood said.
Jones is excited for week one but also wants his team's focus to remain in the classroom as well to give them a brighter future.
"You want them to go to college, but all of them are not going to college to play football, so if they can get there grades right and get right in the classroom, and make to college just to be a student is good enough for me," Jones said.