The
first Yosemite High
School football game
may be 10 weeks
away, but players
are spending four
hours a week in the
campus weight room
in preparation for
the season.
"Weight training is
important to build
up your explosive
power ... and
getting stronger
will give you an
advantage over the
guy across from
your," said 6-foot,
2-inch, 205-pound
senior tight end
Paul Romero while
taking a break
between the bench
press and squats.
Romero, who had 32
receptions for more
than 500 yards and
six touchdowns last
season, is working
to rehabilitate a
serious knee injury
during the Nov. 5
game at Washington
Union. The injury
required two
surgeries to rebuild
his right knee.
In
addition to the
weights, Romero is
spending a lot of
time on a stationary
bike and swimming
before he starts
running in mid-July.
"I should be ready
to play by the time
league starts."
Aaron
Eames is back for
his 16th season as
the Badgers head
varsity coach and
Pat Lynch will be
the JV head coach
for his third
season.
The
Badger boys and
girls basketball
teams are also
weight training
during the
off-season.
As an
incentive to Badger
athletes, school
weight lifting
records hang on the
weight room wall.
Wrestler Kyle
Lincoln, who will be
a senior next school
year, holds the
school bench press
record at 305 pounds
and recent graduates
Grant Hendrickson
and Cody Essary hold
the leg squat record
at 575 pounds.
Hendrickson also
holds the clean jerk
record at 270 pounds
and the dead lift
record of 475 pounds
is held by John
Jones. Hendrickson
holds the combined
weight record of the
four lifts at 1,535
pounds, followed by
Essary at 1,485.
The
Badgers varsity and
JV teams are lifting
weights and going
through non-contact
conditioning drills
every Monday,
Wednesday and Friday
through July22 in
preparation for the
first game of the
season at 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 2 at
Madera South High
School.
