25 Teams in 25 Days: St. Martin Yellow jackets

Finally Friday at stop number 11 on News 25’s 25 Teams in 25 Days where the St.

Martin football program continues to raise the bar, but heading into the 2020 season it’s one step back, two steps forward for the Yellow jackets.

- i'm grace boyles in tonight for- jeff haeger.- finally it's friday... and stop- number 11 on news 25's 25 - teams in 25 days... where the - - - - st.

Martin football program - continues to raise the bar.

- however, heading into the 20-20- season... it's one step back...- two steps forward for the - yellowjackets.- let's check in with news 25's - jeff haeger... at the hive.

- - 25 teams in 25 days... brought- to you by gulf coast business - furniture and supply... your- source for covid-19 supplies an- all of your sanitation needs.

- nat ---> "ready, break!"

"a lot more is expected.

Back i the day if you would've won - seven games it- would've been the greatest- season.

And now it's like y'all- - - - didn't do this and you didn't d- that, so it's a lot more- expectations and that's what we- like."

A victim of its own success...- - - - the st.

Martin football program- has gotten to the point where a- winning season... - is no longer enough.- "we hold ourselves to a standar that we should be in the- playoffs every year.- yeah, we should be."

In 20-17... the yellowjackets - cut ties with their 13-year - playoff drought... and started - new streak, in 20-18... - by going to the post-season, in- back-to-back years.

- with an overall record, of- 7-4... the 20-19 campaign had - all - the makings, of three in a- row... but a 3-4 mark, in regio- 4 class - 6-a... left st.

Martin... on th- - - - outside looking in.

"oh yeah, it's definitely a goal this - year.

But last year was - something that, i don't - know."

"for us to finish 7-4, i think it was a really good season.

Th- one game that i look back - on was the biloxi game.

We're u- 14-7 with five minutes left i - think and we got the- - - - ball on their side of the field- we end up fumbling and they tak- advantage and - score twice and beat us.

And- that game, if we could've - finished that game out it - would've definitely changed our- season around.

You're looking a- 8-3 going to the- - - - playoffs and we're talking abou- how great of a season it was."

Now less than 72 hours away fro- their first official practice,- on monday... the yellowjackets- are way past shoulda, coulda, - woulda.

- on the flip side -- wait, wait,- wait -- hold on a second... - "on the flip side."

Two years in a row... - anyway... so clearly athleticis- isn't a problem, for- st.

Martin... led by flippy mc-- flipster makia hebert, at - quarterback... for the very - first time.

- he's only attempted three - passes, in his entire high- school career... but averaged - more than 10 yards a clip on- his 47 carries, last year... to- go along with eight touchdowns.- "we've got a lot of speed.

We'v got a lot of big people, too.

- the offensive line is - straight.

The wide receivers, a- lot of speed."

"i think we've got a lot of playmakers on- offense and i think the ball is- - - - going to be spread around.

We - don't have one big name that's- going to carry us, but we've go- a bunch of different guys that- can play and make plays, and- when it comes their time- they've just got to do it."

Opportunity knocks for st.- martin's 19 seniors... who- have quite the wish list, for - the 20-20 season.

- starting with more wins than- last year... the program's firs- region 4 class 6-a district - crown... and of course... the - program's first playoff victory- or at least... that's the new - standard... in year 10, of the- eddie wayne whitehead era.- "we've got some new players coming in and this is my senior- year, so i've got to turn up- for my last one and most of my- senior boys."

"yeah, we want to make it at least to state.

We want to play- for the state - championship this year.

That's- what we just keep telling each- other.

This is our last - year, we've got to go out with- something."

"i think they feel like they've been a part of change here and - think they want to- continue that and keep pushing- forward and raise the bar - higher."

- st.

Martin opens the season on- september 4th at st.- stanislaus... - having to cancel its first two- - - - games... at forest hill on- august 21st... and at home- against moss