Football season: where crowds are louder than the band, where everybody dresses up in his or her favorite team colors, where tailgates fill the parking lots, and the smell of hotdogs and hamburgers fills the air. Every student is painted from head to toe in red, white, and blue handprints. This is Bob Jones football.

This year is said to be a great year for Bob Jones football, primarily due to the school’s rank as the number two team in the state of Alabama in the new Class 7A. Early season rankings do not faze Coach Rose as he prepares his players. One would think that this would add extra pressure, but as Coach Rose says, “No, our goal is to win the 15^th game of the season. I am not interested in rankings, just our GOAL. #15.”

Coach Rose has had tremendous success here at Bob Jones and plans on having another year of it. “This is my 7^th season, 6^th as Head Coach. I was Offensive Coordinator in 2008. We have only lost 2 Region games in my 5 years as Head Coach, 34-2 in Region play. The key to sustaining this level of success has been a DRIVE to constantly climb higher and accomplish things here that have never been done.  I believe that there is no limit to what we can get done at Bob Jones as a TEAM. We strive each day to improve!”

Bob Jones football has many goals but it seems that the main goal this year is to win the 15^th game of the season, the state championship. Many things add up to winning each game but it all starts out with the warm-up. “Go outside, see a big crowd of people, already hear some good music playing, students already in the student section, feel your heart beating fast and faster, then see that everyone out there is there to support you and say a quick prayer and boom… it’s game time!” said senior Jarek Taylor.

Many if not all players have taken away life lessons from Bob Jones football. “I want them to leave our program as OVERCOMERS!” As many players have left this past year, a few must step up as leaders. Coach Rose depends on players like Jarek Taylor. Jarek, a leader on the team, continuously tries to keep the team pumped and focused for each game. “We talk about our game plan all week and practice it and know there is a target on our backs. We remind ourselves daily that we are trying to win the 15^th game of the season, the state championship game.”

So if you see a bunch of kids with painted faces on a Friday night, you know there is a Bob Jones football game. GO, PATRIOTS!