With new head coach Shawn Sparks stepping in for his first season at the helm, the Boyd Yellowjackets are aiming to return to prominence and reclaim their status as a dominant football program. After graduating only three players from last year’s roster, Boyd could be one of the dark horses to watch in 2025.
The Yellowjackets bring back more than 20 lettermen and will be led by a senior- and sophomore-heavy core. There’s even potential for a promising freshman class to add much-needed depth. Senior running back/linebacker Maddox Parks and senior wide receiver/strong safety Hunter Etter are expected to be key contributors after combining for 1,297 all-purpose yards last season.
Under center, junior quarterback Will Mcintire will be in charge of getting those seniors the ball and commanding the offense, which will operate out of a power spread system that leans on a strong run game to set up the pass.
Defensively, Boyd may lack size, but they’ll counter that with speed and an odd front scheme designed to create disruption. Coach Sparks later emphasized the fundamentals, saying, “You win championships running the ball and stopping the run.”
Sparks made it clear that he doesn’t believe in the term ‘rebuild.’ For him, it’s much simpler — it’s about restoring the winning culture to what it once was.
But being in a tough district that includes playoff-caliber teams like the Paradise Panthers, Coach Sparks faces a significant challenge. But with a young, talented roster and a fresh mindset, the Yellowjackets just might be a team on the rise.
