Jupiter High’s football team has ended their historic season with a 48-41 loss to Boca Raton. Prior to this loss, the boys defeated Palm Beach Gardens 42-20 in a battle over the district title on Nov. 3, their first since 2004.
In previous years, the team has boasted a strong defense, but a lackluster offense. This year, they have seen improvement on the offensive side of the ball, leading them to their 9-2 record.
“We’ve seen a lot of growth since last year with our offense. They’ve really taken off and we’re no longer relying on our defense to win two and three score games,” Kevin Embick, co-offensive coordinator, said.
This year, the team has come together in all three phases of the game to produce wins.
“We’re at a point where we’re excelling at defense, special teams and offense, which is a pretty cool feeling,” Embick said.
Football training begins in the summer, helping the team keep up with conditioning and performing well throughout the season.
“We train together with varsity throughout the summer and take our mistakes seriously. We take the time to correct those mistakes and listen to the coaches, which helps all of us prepare,” Armando Robinette, sophomore junior varsity (JV) player, said.
Along with year-round training, the team comes together to bond outside of practice, building their relationships on and off the field.
“We’ve really come together as a team outside of school and outside of practice. A lot of other schools just play football, but we’re a family. I think that’s what set us apart from other teams this year,” Luke Douglas, senior quarterback, said.
For the first time this season, the program implemented two separate JV teams, JV-A and JV-B, along with a varsity team, allowing for further improvement as an organization.
“We wanted as many games for our younger kids as possible,” Scott Selvidge, JHS athletic director, said. “A lot of these kids had an opportunity to play up on varsity and it really helped to prepare them for the future of their varsity career within the program.”
Ending the season with a record of 9-2 while claiming the district title, the boys have paved a successful future for the Jupiter football program.
“We definitely set a standard this year. I think a lot of guys will want to come out and be a part of the success for the next several years to come,” Douglas said.
