SNOOK, Texas — The Snook Bluejays are ready to begin a new era of football under first year head coach Nolan Lanham.
“I got a great group of guys that I can lean on and rely on as we get going,” Lanham said. “It's just all about building that foundation and making sure we're successful from the start."
Since taking over this offseason, the buy-in from the players has been tremendous and it’s allowed Lanham and his staff to begin building relationships.
"The summer attendance has been upwards of 90%,” Lanham said.
“And the buy in, especially for those older kids has been awesome and I can't ask for anything else.”
The Bluejays have a large group of seniors that have been working hard both on the field and in the weight room. As they get closer to week one, they're eager to roll out their new offense.
“They're bringing in brand new offense very high flying, fast,” senior wide receiver Liam Zequeria said. “It's going to be exciting out there.”
“They really just brought the excitement, brought us being fast, wanting to be there, wanting to get into it,” senior quarterback Brett Withem said. “Just the intensity has just really been a lot more since the past years.”
While Snook is coming off a 1-9 season, the upperclassmen know they’ve got a chance to be competitive in their district, and that their leadership and commitment will lay the foundation for the future of the program.
“It means a lot after a lot of seasons of losing,” Zequeira said. “Just to step up and help bring some wins home not only for the team but for the families in the stands.
“Whenever they get to come back three or four years from now and they see this successful program, I want them to realize that they were a part of building that and I can't do it without them,” Lanham said.
The Bluejays are ready to attack this season with the mentality that “tough never tires” and “scared money don’t make money”.
“I want those kids to be tough. I want those kids to be fearless,” Lanham said. “I want them to know that it's okay to make a mistake. We're going to be there to cheer him on and correct it. At the end of the day that they can go play fast, they can make a mistake and then they can still make up for it and we can still make it a successful game.”
Snook will open up at home week 1 hosting Leon. Kickoff is set for 7:30pm.
