Mike Johnson
ECB Publishing, Inc.
God equips me with strength. Psalm 18:32, that is the story of last year's undefeated Aucilla Christian Academy (ACA) Warriors Football Program.
The ACA Warriors are coached by Vice Principal Colby Roberts, whom has been teaching and coaching at Aucilla since 2011. He is an Aucilla Alumni Class of 2006 and his oldest son, Lincoln, is currently enrolled at ACA. Coach Roberts has been the head football coach for 11 years leading the program in a positive direction.
Last season the ACA Warriors fought hard to pull out their second undefeated season since 1979, landing them back into the playoffs for a second consecutive season. But this year may be a little different. After losing a significant part of their team to last year's graduation, Coach Roberts is digging deep into the heart of ACA, showing that no matter the problems that lay in the way, their faith in the Lord will lead them in the right direction.
This season, ACA has decided to start working with the junior varsity (JV) program allowing younger students to rise with their peers and move forward to the varsity level. Normal grade levels for the JV program run six through eight, allowing a little more time before stepping up to a more demanding level of football. ACA now allows the eighth graders to move to the next step up as long as the families and coaches give the okay.
During the off-season, Coach Roberts has an excellent summer routine to get not only the new players, but the younger ones into shape. He believes that even though they are small, they are mighty. Summer practice started last week on Tuesday and Thursday. Summer practice is instilling the fundamentals, discipline, techniques and most important of all, conditioning. Coach Roberts believes that the team might not match speed and strength due to their size, but will overcome any opponent with the fourth-quarter push. In most games, the team that comes out on top is the one with the best conditioned players pushing through the whole game and still having enough in the tank to make those last-minute drives.
With the upcoming season, keep an eye out for some young and rising stars: Trip Joyner, starting QB/Safety; Jace Grant, starting running back; Aiden Day, starting line and linebacker and Gannett Fulford, starting line.
Come on down, Jefferson County, and support your local team this season as Coach Roberts and the ACA Warriors battle it out on the grid iron as they try for a third undefeated season.
You must be logged in to post a comment.