BOULDER — After a disappointing finish to last year's football season, the Jefferson High School boys track and field team took home a Class B state title. Many members of that team are also members of the football team, and as they prepare for this coming fall, the Panthers are hoping that winning feeling carries over into the fall.
“A lot of what kids do in track translates over to the football field, and those guys are excited. ... What they were able to accomplish was pretty cool. And I think, coming into summer workouts, there's been a lot of energy and a lot of excitement going into next year,” said Panthers head football coach Clint Layng.
The Jefferson boys team won the team track and field trophy with key contributions from members like Joey Visser and Braden Morris. Morris, a senior quarterback for the Panthers, noted that winning feeling is unlike any other and his teammates who weren't a part of it want in on the action.
“Winning is contagious, it's just been a lot more intense," Morris said in regards to summer practices. "Everybody wants to be a part of it now, knowing that you can win it if you put the hard work into it.”
The Panthers struggled last season securing just two wins across seven games, but with the players they have returning, and the high of a state track and field title, they think they’re going to surprise some people when they hit the turf this fall.
"I feel like we got a lot of good teams in our district and in the state right now. And after last year, I feel like some might overlook us, but we're just really looking to prove ourselves this year," said senior wide receiver Tyler Harrington.
"I think we're going to have sort of a comeback year coming off of our two wins last year," said Morris. "We only lost about one senior who played any significant time so I think it's going to be more of a comeback story."
