Jordan is on the precipice.

The Warriors were just a step away from the playoffs last year in their first full varsity season and it’s led to a hunger in the locker room.

The team knows they have the talent and now it’s about the building a legacy in the building. This group wants to take the next step and make a playoff push for the first time in school history.

“These guys are hungry,” said Jordan head coach Mike Rabe. “We got so close last year so it’s definitely been motivating for us. That’s the goal for us is to find a way to get over the hump and get into the playoffs.”

The Warriors have one of the most skilled receiver rooms in the entire state returning and it will be a nightmare for any defense to deal with the teams passing attack. Zechariah Sample and Andrew Marsh are two crazy athletic receivers that will give defenses fits. Marsh comes off a sophomore season where he caught 53 passes for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns, while Sample had 32 receptions for 595 yards and six touchdowns, also adding 146 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

But those two are just the start for the offense. Deacon Stanfield will provide big time speed as a third receiver while Bryce Coffie, Connor Babin and Van Keith Brown can all be strong contributors in the pass game.

“It’s fun to have so many playmakers on a team,” Rabe said. “It’s hard to get all of them the ball and you want to see them all touch it as much as possible, but it’s challenging to spread it out and find ways to get them all involved, but it’s a really fun problem to have.”

Colin Willetts will again be tasked with the quarterback duties after putting up big numbers his junior year. He comes off a season where he completed nearly 60% of his passes, throwing for 2,233 yards and 23 touchdowns while also throwing eight interceptions. Chad Gasper will take the reigns as the No.1 running back for the team and can be counted on both in the run and pass game. He had 675 yards rushing with 10 touchdowns last year and 194 yards receiving, adding another touchdown through the air last season. Ifeanyi Monye will provide the team with another punch in the run game and is someone that can gain hard yards through the tackles. The biggest question after last season is the offensive line, but Rabe is excited from what he’s seen from that group as well.

“Both the lines have had a really good offseason,” Rabe said. “As long as you are in this district, you are going to have to deal with some big dudes in the trenches, everyone has big guys. We’ll have to see how we match up once we start playing, but I think we will do good. They’ve been great through the spring and summer, they’ve worked hard and met our expectations.”

Defensively, the Warriors secondary will be in good shape. Zion Jones is a shutdown corner who had four interceptions and seven pass deflections last year, adding 32 tackles in only his sophomore year. Sample will play both sides of the ball and adds another huge presence in the secondary as the two will form a strong duo at the cornerback position. Jason Lee and Bill Pone will lead the line as the Warriors look to improve after allowing 31 points per game last season.

With returners all around the field, the Warriors expect big improvements and to continue to push for a playoff spot. They’ll open the season against Aldine Davis before facing Kingwood to close out non-district, before opening their district schedule against Mayde Creek.

“It’s important to start the year strong but it’s also important that all of our guys remind ourselves that even if we have a bad day, it won’t determine what our season ends up being at the end of the day. We want to come out and play well but the important thing is to be ready for district because you get into it quick. We have to be focused on those games.”