Mt. Hermon seniors Joel Brumfield, Bryan Ortiz and Anthony Brumfield understand this is their last year to put their mark on the Yellowjackets’ football program.

“It is still a young program,” Mt. Hermon first-year coach Henry Crawford said. “We have a football team but we really haven’t developed a program. Our kids think football begins in August and ends in November when you have to be preparing all the time for football. That has to change. The mentality of the program has to change to compete against people who do have a successful program.”

“Our summer program this year wasn’t well attended. Despite our small numbers, we will have some seniors. We just need kids that are committed and dedicated to working hard and not making excuses. ”

Mt. Hermon was 2-8 last season and 0-5 in District 7-1A play under second-year coach Gwynn Holmes. The Yellowjackets started up their football program four seasons ago under Chris Fussell and Crawford has been at the school since its inception as an assistant.

“I would like to be competitive in all of our non-district games and build some momentum,” Crawford said. “I don’t think we competed very well in district last year and just kind of fizzled.”

Joel Brumfield returns on the offensive and defensive lines for the Yellowjackets and Ortiz returns at running back and linebacker. Anthony Brumfield will play running back and linebacker, too.

The trio are a part of a senior class of nine that includes Alex Winters, Brandon LaPharoahs, Sy Falgout and Tyler Lindsey.

“I just want to go out there and help the team by doing the best I can being our last year,” Joel Brumfield said. “Hopefully, it will help everybody else do better and we can say our senior year was the best year we had. I want this program to keep going because I fought for it back in junior high.”

“I want to be a leader and show the younger kids how good we can be,” Ortiz said. “We don’t want to have to worry about the program getting canceled where the younger kids can’t play football here.”

“I want to show the younger guys that if you have the right kind of faith, dedication and hard work that you can do anything you set your mind to,” Anthony Brumfield said. “We want to keep this program going so that the younger kids can have something to look forward to when they get older.”

Football and family mean a lot to the trio and Joel Brumfield (Fred Brumfield) credits his father as inspiration.

“I have always looked up to my dad and he has always told me regardless of what happens on the field, as long as you know you have done your best, you shouldn’t be down on yourself,” Joel Brumfield said. “Football has been with me my whole life. I just feel like it is in my blood”

“My cousin Mikey played linebacker in high school and that is why I wear No. 33,” Ortiz said. “I couldn’t live without football. It is everything to me. If I couldn’t play football, I would be devastated.”

“There is nothing bad you can say about football,” Anthony Brumfield said. “It eases your mind and helps you focus. I like Michael Vick because of how he came back from jail and is against dog fighting, now.”

The Yellowjackets understand the key to their season is overcoming adversity.

“I expect to have a winning season to show everybody in Mt. Hermon that we actually did something this year,” Anthony Brumfield said.

“We need hard work and dedication to make sure we reach our goals,” Ortiz added.

“I just hope that we can do better than the year prior,” Joel Brumfield said. “Just do the best that we can and play as a team. That is the key to actually winning games instead of trying to do it yourself.”