WACO, Texas — After a winless 2021 season, the University Trojans are hoping to take a step forward in 2022 behind an experienced group of 15 returning starters.
"We learned a lot from shared suffering," Head Coach Kent Laster said. "We learned a lot from going through adversity."
The Trojans are moving into Laster's second season at the helm after he came to Waco from Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas.
Laster said he struggled to establish a meaningful culture in his first season in charge. It took his players a while to get acclimated to his aggressive and energetic coaching style.
"We learned that maybe what coach says, what they're trying to do... maybe that works," he said. "Maybe we aren't as committed as we need to be."
According to Laster, the Trojans turned a corner in December, following the end of their 0-10 season.
"I think last year was a lot of what to do," Laster said. "Now it's how to do it. Now we can hone in on things. It's really fun to coach these guys because we're able to do that. We're not wondering, "Are they gonna be here? Are they committed?" They are. They are committed. And that's what makes it a lot of fun, to see the progress and see how they change over a year, year and a half."
University benefited some from the latest round of realignment, moving from a district housing DFW powerhouses like Aledo to one centered around the Austin area, containing first-year program Killeen Chaparral and Elgin, another team that did not win a game in 2021.
2022 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE:
8/26 vs Robinson 7:00
9/2 at Fort Worth Eastern Hills 7:00
9/9 vs FW Arlington Heights 7:00
9/16 at Copperas Cove 7:30
9/22 at Killeen Chaparral* 7:00
9/30 Open
10/6 vs Pflugerville* 7:00
10/14 at Elgin* 7:00
10/21 vs Leander Rouse* 7:00
10/28 at Pflugerville Connally* 7:00
11/4 vs Belton* 7:00
*District Game
Click here for more 2022 season previews.
