RCTC Football Starts 2023 Training Camp

Head Coach Terrence Isaac Sr. and RCTC players spoke about the upcoming season and the team’s expectations.

(ABC 6 News) — When Terrence Isaac took over RCTC Football last season, he wanted his players not just to become better players, but better students as well.

“I want to see how you make it in the long run,” Coach Isaac said back in 2022. “If football’s the only thing you got from me, I failed you as a coach. So, get that degree. You know, you can go a long way with that degree everything else will fall into place.”

It’s paid off as academic success has helped former players reach the Division I level. Now in year two, the plan is the same; and while the team is at it, keep getting RCTC Football back to an even more competitive squad than before.

“I think taking a big step this season is just attention to detail,” Coach Isaac assessed during Wednesday’s practice. “And just making sure we’re precise in our execution. And just making sure that we’re just executing.”

Last year’s 5-5 record was a season of growing pains, but also potential. As new blood comes into the unit the sophomores from year one are aiming to lead by the example set by Coach Isaac.

“Just have everyone work as hard as they can and be 100% bought in,” sophomore offensive lineman Gavin Layton added. “Be locked in, be willing to do what it takes to win and what it takes to be on the same page as everyone else.”

Layton has backed up his words, pushing himself to become a more focused athlete. Sure enough, come December, he’ll transfer to arguably the hottest destination in college football right now: The Colorado Buffaloes led by coach Deion Sanders.

“They just liked how I performed at the camp, first of all,” Layton explained. “I mean, that’s been my dream school since (Coach Sanders) moved there.”

The newcomers are eager to see what Yellowjackets Football is all about. Freshman Jaxon Sadowski is already getting acclimated to the team and ready to go into battle.

“Anybody can get beat on any given day,” Sadowski, a linebacker, explained. “So if (you’re) out there thinking you lost already, you already lost. And I think we match up with (other teams) pretty good.”

The optimism is strong with the Yellowjackets as the team looks forward to taking the gridiron together against all the tests to come in 2023.

“It’s family over here, I consider these guys my brothers, I barely met them but you know? I met this guy, Keon (Hunter), right here. So, it’s just family.”

RCTC Football’s season opener is against Hocking College in Glen Ellyn, Illinois on August 26. The home opener for the Yellowjackets is September 2 against the College of DuPage.