BOISE -- It's the 50th year of Capital High School football, and players started conditioning in December to prepare for the 2014 season.
Coaches and players know the work ethic needed to be an athlete at Capital and to achieve success.
"The great ones do the ordinary things a little bit better than everybody else," head coach Todd Simis said. "I think our kids take that to heart."
A sign of Capital's dedication to the game is the program's use of the word Gurkha, a type of Nepalese soldier that served in the British-Indian army. Gurkhas were known for their courage and stamina, as well as the passion they put into fighting.
Similarly, the Capital defensive line aims to become Gurkhas in the sense of not quitting and fighting until the end of a game and the season.
If a defensive lineman plays with particular passion and spirit, they are given the honor of wearing black helmets, while the rest of the team wears gold. The black represents their level of playing and understanding football.
"Our goal is to have all 11 guys on defense at the end of the year, playing at that level," Simis said.
A few players to watch out for this year:
- Jr. Ben Vering, defensive line
- Sr. Austin Thorell, linebacker
- Sr. Tarik Littlejohn, wide receiver
- Sr. Conner Poulson, quarterback
"With the implementation of our new defense, we should have more of an attack," Thorell said. "The guys we have this year will be great with leadership and keeping the team together no matter what."
Vering is excited to play Eagle this year after being unable to play last year due to a dislocated elbow. He is also excited to see how his team performs on the field this Saturday versus Madison High School.
"No game is more important than another; just need to focus on our next game," Poulson said.
