WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — The Roosevelt High School football team in the District of Columbia continues to improve under head coach Chris Harden.

Harden is entering his seventh season as the Rough Riders’ head coach. Each of the past three seasons, the team has improved its record, finishing 11-2 in 2021 and winning the DC football public school championship.

“We are humble. We humble ourselves every day,” Roosevelt senior linebacker and fullback Javary Peaps said. “We already now it’s going to be hard. We work hard every day so we can go back-to-back.”

Roosevelt lost to a very good Archbishop Carroll private school team in overtime in the DC title game. Roosevelt also lost to Carroll in its season opener.

“A lot of my guys are still here that was a part of that. So now, we feel we left something on the table. We’ve got to go back and get it,” Harden said. “The goal is, we don’t want a football team here, we want a football program. We want to continue to build.”

Roosevelt will open its season on Friday at Indian Valley in Ohio.

“We are going back this year, back-to-back, bet all your money on [Roosevelt] man, that’s all I’ve got to say, bet all your money on [Roosevelt],” Roosevelt junior defensive end and defensive tackle We aren’t the hunters, we’re being hunted. Gonna make a bigger step and fight even harder so you know we can come back and go back-to-back.”