A sea of Newport Knights football jerseys on the defensive side of the ball converged on the ball carrier during a 9-on-7 drill under the sweltering heat of a practice session on June 7.

The Knights, who went 2-9 last season after advancing to the Class 4A state semifinals in 2014, believe wholeheartedly in “rallying to the football” on the gridiron.

“Rallying to the ball is something we instill early on,” Knights head coach Drew Oliver said. “We throw a lot at them in a hurry with the playbook. We expect that it takes time to digest all of that but what we tell them is that they are always in control of their attitude and their effort. Every time they come out here they don’t have to know anything about a playbook to be hustling around the field. We take pride in that. Each day we are talking about something different and how it contributes to becoming the football team we want to be. We are working on the purpose of what we do and are really working on building what it means to be a Newport football player.”

The Knights will have a seasoned signal caller this fall. Newport junior quarterback Brandon Steinberg, who was the starting quarterback in 2015, is looking forward to his second season as the starter. Steinberg had quite a few memorable moments last year including scoring four rushing touchdowns in a 58-30 win against the Inglemoor Vikings on Sept. 25 in Factoria.

“It means a lot to me as a junior to be the one that everyone looks to,” Steinberg said. “For me, it’s all about setting a good example for the guys and just leading them to success.”

Winning just two games in 2015 is something Steinberg wants to change this fall on the gridiron.

“I’m looking forward to us showing everyone what Newport football is all about again,” he said.

Oliver is very comfortable with having Steinberg as the most important position on the field.

“That year of varsity experience, you can’t simulate that anywhere else,” Oliver said. “He (Steinberg) is a young guy and he did great for us last year. He is coming back with a year of experience. That will be great for us.”

Steinberg believes in the Newport coaching staff’s ability to lead the players in all facets of the game.

“When you make mistakes in practice, they are always there for us,” he said. “It shows us they are not giving up on us and really want us to succeed.”