The coaching setup for the varsity football team changed this year after the departure of the former coaches. The football team has also moved down a division after a tough year in the upper league last year. Last year’s junior varsity coaches Rudy Alcala, Eddie Sumpter and Randy Jimenez are now the varsity coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator, respectively.

The coaches hope to have a great season this year, using the techniques that they applied last year to the junior varsity team.

“Our coaching style isn’t going to change,” Jimenez said. “It’s just we’ve been moved up to varsity.”

While Alcala, Sumpter and Jimenez intend to retain their previous styles in coaching, the varsity football team has not experienced their coaching before and will find differences from the styles their former coaches used. Among these differences are a greater focus on tackling and a new strength and conditioning routine with a new trainer.

“The coaches brought in a new trainer, which really helped us with strength and conditioning,” senior Paul Hernandez said. “They run a really good practice…they know what they’re going to do.”

However, the new coaches want to teach the team more than the technical aspects of tackling and conditioning. They want to teach players how to think on the field as well. Some of the goals include teaching the players to have “Eagle pride” and to develop a better philosophy of the game. They will aim to achieve these goals by inspiring their players to live with “Eagle pride” and strive for excellence in everything they do.

“It’s…a change in the philosophy,” Jimenez said. “The philosophy that Eagles win at everything we try, on and off the field.”