“A new era has begun”
On a hot August night in Walnut Creek California, the Knights were able to experience a feeling they hadn’t felt in 722 days: a football victory. The long awaited return of Doug Longero, the football coach that brought Las Lomas two NCS titles in 2003 and 2005, has brought much hope and confidence. A new era had begun. “It’s a new energy, a new hunger, our coach is driven by off of our success so I think that’s what makes us hungry to succeed. Last season not a whole lot of people cared about the program and this year I feel like we got all hands on deck,” said Isaiah Newell, a key to the Knight’s offense.
Changes on the field were met with changes in team image as well. The sayings “Relaunch” and “New Era” highlight the rebuild in Las Lomas’s own version of The Philadelphia 76ers “Trust the Process.”
“I feel that both of the slogans relaunch and new era help to brand the new and u(k)nighted football programs this year and the slogans really boost all the fans’ spirits,” said senior cheerleader Emily Mott.
“I think we are going to improve a lot this year. With the new staff we have to help us, I think that in just a little bit we can be a force in our district,” said junior varsity quarterback Everett Johnson.
A losing high school football team doesn’t get draft picks. Teams must rebuild using the skill of their coaches to shape their players into the best they can be over their four year stay. “The coaches help us in any way possible,” said Newell.
The talent seen in last year’s freshmen squad, the only team to finish with wins on the record last year, have been able to showcase their skills on both the JV and varsity teams.
The most successful prospect of the 2020 class has been varsity running back Isaiah Newell. “My mindset is to win. I want to get out there for my teammates and give it my all,” said Newell.
So far, the Knights are 3-2 starting the season 2-0, beating Ygnacio Valley and Dougherty Valley.
“I think winning the season opener was really good for us, we got a lot of energy from it,” said Zac Transue, JV Guard.
In terms of their losses, they are already improving. In the 2016 season, the Knights lost by about 22.9 points per game. This year they are winning their games by an average of 12.5 points per game and losing by just 12.3-- a huge improvement. The Knights seek to start league games soon. With how the preseason turned out, Las Lomas can expect to see the glimpses of a new era in knights football.
