Football season at UC High has officially started with a massive return of several of the school’s previous players. Many of the team’s best players have decided to return to UC High and this has caused many to call this season the team’s “comeback year.” Last year’s Varsity Team had an overall record of one win and nine losses, so it would be an understatement to say that this year, Centurions are hopeful that the team’s performance will soar much higher.
Senior Dreyden Garner, who is a wide receiver and cornerback for the Centurions, is excited to be back on his original team with his, “…boys, for one last season.” With full confidence, Garner expressed his hopes of making it all the way to the State Championship and winning all of their games along the way.
Fellow Senior Tavyn Lockett, who plays receiver, is also elated to help his team win their way to the State Championship. “I want to be a leader to my other teammates and help us win together,” said Lockett.
Finally, Junior Quentyn DeMara, the team’s quarterback, is thrilled to be back and is raring to go. He stated, “I’m excited to win our season together.” These three players all are beyond excited to be able to play with each other, which for some is their chance to help each other achieve their shared goal of winning their way into the top.
Coach Paul Lawrence (“P-Law”) is also extremely excited for the new season and is ready to work harder than ever. He stated, “I treat every year’s team the same and love them all equally, so our work ethic has and will continue to always be strong, and this year we have some of the young players from previous years. They have gained a lot of experience and will be more prepared to play and win this season.”
Lawrence spoke with great pride and excitement about his team and how far they have come. “Every position has their contributions, even those in the trenches. Everybody is ready to step it up, especially last year’s players wanting to redeem themselves,” stated Lawrence. With some of his returning players, such as Garner, Lockett, and DeMara, who in previous years have already won State Championships, he knows they will take leadership roles and use their positions to teach and guide their team. Lawrence explained, “We’re always going to take every opponent the same and we don’t care who it is. To us, every game is easy, but also every game is hard.”
An exciting start to the new season includes winning their first scrimmage game holding El Capitan High School to a zero-point score with their own score of twenty-six. Offensively, the Centurions efficiently moved the ball downfield scoring three touchdowns, while the defense played very physical and aggressive. Freshman Thomas DeDrick made a good first impression for being on varsity as an underclassman. On top of that, the team won their first game of the season sixty-three to twelve with nine touchdowns against Clairemont High School.
Overall, this season is off to a great start with wins in their first scrimmage and first game and this may be attributed to the comeback of some previous players. With new, old, and returning players and new plays and plans, this team is ready to run with their winning streak all the way to the State Championship by working as a team.