After making the playoffs for two consecutive seasons, the Valley Christian Eagles are looking to aim big for the 2019 season.

Coach Jomont Ware is already anticipating the new season.

“I’m pretty excited about this group, they’re a very gritty group,” he said. “They work hard, they believe in each other, they’re willing to learn, very coachable, and you can’t beat that. They’re a bunch of great kids.”

Ware is the lone head coach this season after he and Jeff Hether were co-head coaches for the past two seasons.

“We have 36 kids, and the offseason was really good, a lot of kids got a lot bigger than they were last year and in shape,” Ware said “A lot of our linemen got into shape, I think it was a good offseason.”

Although there’s been some success over the past few seasons, Ware doesn’t want his team to focus on the past.

“Like I told them, last year is last year. Those were a great group of seniors, we had a bunch of seniors that really led the team,” he said. “I think a lot of these players this year really picked up on that. Let’s hope we take one game at a time and we’ll see where the cards fall at the end of the season, but I’m already excited about their work ethic.”

Ware said he thinks the experience his team gained last season does have some meaning going into 2019.

“We had a big senior class, and some of those younger classes really looked up to some of those older guys. They can take what they have seen on the field and off the field, and take that and use that, and then use what they have to make a different type of leadership.”

The summer also gave Ware the opportunity to work on minor details with his team.

“It gave us the chance to work on some little small details about what we’re going to do on the offense and defense, and like I said, these kids are eager to learn,” he said. “They hear, they listen, they ask questions, they’re not scared to make a mistake. I always tell them sometimes you gotta learn by making a mistake.

“They do make mistakes, but they do really well at asking questions and fixing those mistakes.”

QUARTERBACKS

Junior Tyrone Lindsey III will take over as quarterback for Valley Christian this season, replacing Milan Square who graduated after last season.

Ware thinks that Lindsey has the tools to make the Eagles’ offense dynamic.

“He’s a very athletic quarterback, he’s not 6-foot-5 like Milan (Square), but he’s very athletic, I think he’s probably one of the most athletic kids in our school.

“Tyrone is just an athletic kid, so he can run and throw, so he can be that extra option that I think people will probably have to worry about.” Ware said.

RUNNING BACKS

Junior Izaiah McKinley, who played on defense last season, looks to take a big role as the team’s running back this fall. Sophomore Malachi Gibbs and one or two others also could see some playing time.

RECEIVERS

Sophomores Luis Velasquez and Raquan Bell, along with senior Scotty Hornbuckle and freshman Veshun Gurley are looking to see playing time as wideouts for Valley Christian.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Ware said the success the Eagles have on offense will be due to the team’s offensive line.

“Having an experienced offensive line like we have is going to help those receivers, running backs and our quarterback,” he said. ” It kind of slows them down in terms of growing up, so those groups don’t have to be as frustrated because we have that front that’s going to help them grow.”

“We have junior Eric Davis, junior Nasir Long, senior Warren Harris and senior De’Mar Brown back. Those guys are 6-3, 6-4 almost 300 pounds, and they have taken their lumps.

“The offensive linemen have taken their lumps over the past couple of years, so I think with them having their game experience it is going to help them out tremendously. They’re bigger, they’re stronger, and they’ve taken on a huge leadership role.”

Ware related an instance in practice when the starters offered advice to the second team line.

“Like today, when the second group got in there, they pretty much stayed besides those guys, and said, ‘Hey this is what you need to do, this is what we’re going to do,’ and it’s very encouraging.”

DEFENSIVE LINE

The Eagles will field sophomore Philip Chandler-Cox, along with Davis, Harris and Brown up front. Ware said having several players seeing action on both the OL and DL gives both of those position groups energy.

“It’s kind of the same group, the same unit, so they kind of feed off each other,” Ware said. “They do a very good job of getting the second unit going.”

LINEBACKERS

Senior Dorian Cox, along with Long, Gurley and Velasquez will be the linebackers for the Eagles this season.

“We have a lot of skilled athletic kids, and that’s going to help us a lot because they could just fly to the ball and there’s no thinking. They’re just going to the ball and get it done,” Ware said.

SECONDARY

The secondary looks to be another strong position group for Valley Christian, led by sophomore Raquan Bell, Lindsay, McKinley and Hornbuckle.

“All those guys have played a lot of snaps, so it’s kind of good that on the back end, a lot in the middle, some of those defensive linemen have a lot of game experience, so that’s kinda nice,” Ward said.

SPECIALISTS

Either freshman Aiden Bulwight or junior Chloe Schnabl will be the placekicker this season. Long will once again take care punting and kickoffs for the Eagles.

OUTLOOK

Regardless of what happens on the field this season Ware wants his team to form as one unit.

“Our goal is to stay together, play together, pray together, trust one another, trust in God, and just leave everything out on the field, regardless if we lose or win,” Ware said.

“A lot of people see that we lost a lot of skilled players, and no one is really giving us a chance, and I’ll take that. It is what it is, but these are some gritty kids, and they’re out to prove something, so I’m pretty excited for that.”