SPORTS ANCHOR - 081420

25 TEAMS IN 25 DAYS

- - 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 - do 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 goa- 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 wa- the biloxi game.

We're up 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 about how great o- 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 on- big name that's going to carry- us, but we've got - 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 fores- hill on - august 21st... and at home- against moss point on august- 28th.

- - in an effort to keep players- safe and healthy amid the - coronavirus pandemic... the - gulfport football team- has a new addition to its iconi- orange and blue helmet- this season.- after learning that clinton - brawley and gulfport high - school's robotics department wa- making face - shields for memorial hospital..- gulfport head - football coach john archie aske- if brawley could design - shields for the inside of - football helmets.

- after nearly two months and - about eight different - models, archie and brawley and- the robotics department - successfully designed a shield- that worked, including proper - ventiliation to prevent the - shield from fogging.- while trying to find face - coverings that work for - athletes -- at all levels -- ha- shown to be difficult... archie- says his players like these - shields.- hear more about this year's - admirals football squad - on monday when news 25's sports- director jeff haeger stops by - practice.

- - sophomore ocean springs high- school athlete brayson- hubbard annoucned today on- twitter that he has received- an offer to play football at- southern miss.- if hubbard were to accept the - golden eagles offer, the high - school sophomore would- eventually be a - two-sport collegiate athlete.

- hubbard has already committed t- - - - play baseball at southern miss.- as a freshman, hubbard started- all 12 games for the greyhounds- at shortstop.

Hubbard ended the- shortened season with a - four eighty-one batting average- and scored ten runs.- hubbard... now a sophomore... i- competing for the starting- quarterback spot on ocean - springs' varsity football squad- - this w-x-x-v play of the day wa- graciously provided by- news 25's jeff haeger.- - - - check this out.

- st.martin quarterback makia - - - - habert- was so excited during practice- today he just had to show it...- with this backflip.

- look familiar?

That's because - habert- pulled out this same trick last- - - - year for 25 teams in 25 days.

- grant, many things are differen- this year in regards- to high school football...- however, it's good to know- - - - some things will never change.- grant, can you do a backflip?

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