Tallahassee, FL (WTXL) -- With three state titles in school history, winning is expected at Lincoln. Since 1991 they have conducted Midnight Madness to open the football season. Head coach Yusif Shakir wouldn't start the season any other way than practicing starting at midnight on the first day FHSAA allows in Florida.
"Midnight Madness is all about being the first to practice so we can be the last to play," Shakir said.
Lincoln returns 14 starters from last season. That includes all the receivers except one and their quarterback senior Chris Brimm. Shakir says his roster has some bulk and muscle up front on offense and defense like many of the Lincoln talented teams from the past.
"It's up to them how bad they want it and how far they want to go," Shakir said. "I am very excited about the the youth and we have some very, very talented sophomores that are going to be competing on this varsity team."
Shakir always enjoys playing a tough schedule. Last year's schedule allowed his Trojans to develop and eventually win a district tiebreaker to make the playoffs. Lincoln plays the same schedule this year starting with a game at Niceville on August 26th.
"We were a very young and inexperienced team last year," Shakir said. "So that's a reason our schedule was really so hard last year to get them to understand the level that they need to play at week in and week out. I am excited about what we have coming back."
