It’s never easy to be the starting quarterback for a high school football team.

Add in the pressure of leading a 5A team and playing in a new offensive system under a new head coach, the margin for error becomes almost non-existent.

For senior Allen Hamilton, last season’s pressure and, at times, on-the-job training has prepared him to lead the Yellow Jackets to their first playoff appearance since 2020.

“We’re going to the playoffs this year,” Allen said confidently. “I feel like we can beat a lot of our district opponents. We should only struggle with two or three games all season, the rest are winnable.”

Last season NISH was able to improve to 3-7 in head coach Josh Lierman’s first season back with the Yellow Jackets.

For Hamilton, having the trust of his coaches provides additional motivation for him to perform.

“It felt good, having somebody trust you with their playbook and everything,” Hamilton said of being named starting quarterback last season. “This year, we’re going to be coming harder than ever. We’re waiting for the season to start. I want to show my potential to college coaches, but it’s a team thing. I’m going to put out and my team is going to put out, so hopefully we can have a good season.”

Longtime NISH coach Ceasar Trahan said that making the change from the previous offense was beneficial for Hamilton’s development.

“Being in the Wing-T, you really can’t be a quarterback like you want to be,” Trahan explained. All you have to do is be a game manager. In his first year in the Spread, he took to it very well. Year two of being in the system, I think he has learned a lot from watching 7-on-7 and the chemistry is there. He’s more vocal as a leader this season as well, so I’m really excited to see what he can do this year.”

“I think that he’s the best quarterback in the district.”

The district in question is one of the toughest in the state. Last year, NISH went 3-5 in District 3-5A play.

If the Yellow Jackets want to improve enough to make a playoff appearance, they’ll need to come away with a winning record in district.

Much of NISH’s success will come from Hamilton’s performances, so he isn’t leaving anything to chance.

In addition to competing in outdoor track and field in the spring, Hamilton has also been attending camps to improve his skills.

“I was learning more all the time,” he said. “At practice, I was able to improve with everything that the coaches were telling me. Going to camps also helped, (the coaches) taught me a lot more there. Track also prepared me for the season. I got a lot faster and my conditioning is much better now.”

Hamilton has always been able to use his athleticism to his advantage, rolling out of collapsing pockets on numerous occasions to pick up yards on the ground. This year, he plans to be a bit more balanced.

“Our linemen put a lot more work in for me. This year, I plan to utilize both and stay in the pocket but also use my legs a little bit,” Hamilton said.

In addition to benefiting from improvements on the line, Hamilton will also benefit from his connections with several NISH receivers, including his brother, Synjaya Hamilton.

“I have Trysten (Phillips), (Dameon) Polite, Synjaya and Shanga (Charles) and I trust all of them,” he said. “It’s all about chemistry with your receivers and I feel like we are all on the same page right now, so it will be a good season.”

Hamilton and the rest of the Yellow Jackets will begin the 2023 season on Sept. 1 when they travel to Westgate for the annual Berry Bowl game.