The preseason has been good to the Yuma High School football team.
“We’re up to 40 (players),” head coach Kelly Seward said earlier this week. “We have more than we had last year. We’ve picked up some kids who are really going to help us.”
The Yuma Football Team is into its second week of practice, and has been in full pads since last Saturday. The players finally will get to hit someone else when they go to Haxtun on Friday for a scrimmage.
“I know they’re 8-man, but that’s a good football team and they have good numbers,” Seward said. “It will be a good test for us to see where we’re at.”
Yuma has had big senior classes the past two seasons, so there are a lot of upcoming players now vying for varsity playing time in 2023.
“We have a lot of new faces in new positions,” Seward said. “We have a lot of speed and some good size, but you never know how that is going to translate onto the football field. There’s a lot of terminology and technique to learn. You have to get to Week 1, have the bullets start flying to really find out where you’re at.”
The coach noted the players have been in the same system since junior high, which is a big help in moving along during the preseason.
“It’s one of those deals, the kids are picking up on the terminology. It’s cool to see,” Seward said.
He said the staff took 32 players to a summer camp and was pleased with their showing.
“They competed their tails off,” Seward said. “But it’s summer camp, it’s kind of carefree without other people watching. It is different when you get under the lights and there are people in the stands.”
Classes started this week at YHS, so the team is falling into a regular practice routine. After Friday’s scrimmage, the YFT will return to the practice field early next week to begin preparations for its season opener at Sterling on August 25.
“It’s there, we just have to put it together,” Seward said.
