It's 12:01 a.m. and Roosevelt is practicing

Roosevelt fell to Babylon by one point in last year’s Long Island Championship Game . . . and it took the Rough Riders only one minute to start official work toward making sure that doesn’t happen again.

For the second consecutive year, Roosevelt wasted literally no time getting the season started, holding their first practice of the year at 12:01 a.m. Monday, the first day allowed on Long Island.

They call it Midnight Madness.

It was an idea hatched by coach Joe Vito three years ago. Why wait until 8 a.m.?

“While other people are dreaming about football, we’re getting started for 2014,” Vito said.

The lights were not installed in time for a 2012 edition, but when the Roosevelt field was fully illuminated before last season, the coach was finally able to put his vision into action.

“It was a wonderful activity for the kids,” Vito said. “I hope we can keep it going as a tradition.”

The practice is light, consisting mostly of agility drills, strength building, and offensive and defensive concept introduction. It’s nothing more than a usual opening practice, with the ceremonial wrinkle of it being at the exact opening moment of football season.

“It’s a reuniting of team,” defensive end Yusuf Young said.

Young, a senior, is part of a defense that returns only three starters from last year’s squad. He missed last year with a left knee injury that did not require surgery. He was healthy enough to return for the spring track and field season but is itching to get back on the football field.

“I’ve been working to get my knee and leg stronger,” Young said. “This year, I’m going to come out with a bang.”

Kaheem Carter is in the same boat as Young, having missed most of last season after tearing his MCL in week one. He was able to return in week six, but his playing time was significantly reduced. He expects to make up for that this season.

“I want to make sure I don’t let the team down on my end,” said Carter, a wide receiver and safety. "I have to make every catch. I have to eye the ball in [to my hands] and get yards after the catch.”

The Rough Riders' offense returns four starters, linemen Chukwuma Ukwu and Dorkim Simeona and receivers Denzel Barns and Justin Terry.

Terry started at quarterback last season but will be moved to receiver because of his superior skill at that position, Vito said.  

“Being a small school, you have to utilize guys in different spots,” Vito said.

Terry also will play defensive back.

Sophomore Stephon Vailes is slated to start at quarterback and is already drawing good reviews from his teammates.

“This young quarterback plays like an older quarterback,” Barns said. “I like this kid. He throws the ball well.”

Shamari Kirkpatrick will take over at tailback, taking the spot of the graduated Johnnie Akins.

“We have a pretty tailback-oriented offense, so it’s an important position,” Vito said of Kirkpatrick. “He’s done a good job of getting prepared to take that spot.”

Despite the roster turnover, the motivation is still the same. A loss in the LIC is still a loss. It’s something that sticks with the players who went through it, the players who watched from the sidelines, and the players who sat in the stands as JV players. It’s something that they don’t want to happen again, and they aren’t wasting a minute making sure it doesn’t.

“We’re still Roosevelt,” Carter said. “We still have the same motivation and focus. We want to win the LIC.”