Another season has ended for the Aztec football team, and since the Friday night lights are turned off―or now―it’s a good time to reflect on this past season, how they can improve, and what they think their future holds.

“There’s so many different ways to improve,” said new coach Wesley Choate. He’s focused on “improving grades, teamwork, and their pursuit of being great”, and greatness is Choate’s main goal.

Sophomore Anthony Torres, a J.V. player, definitely has more physical-oriented standards for himself. “I’ll say probably put in more work during the off-season,” said Torres. “Working out more, running more, basically working on my footwork.”

Varsity player and junior Calvin Flores has more reflective goals that apply to the whole team; looking back on this past season, his perspective was a bit more broad.

“I would’ve changed our work ethic,” said Flores. “We weren’t always mentally there and I think that’s what got us. We should’ve been striving towards greatness 24/7.” When asked what else could have been improved, Flores said “we all have to get stronger for the season ahead.”

Looking back on this season, it’s easy to be negative, but both the players as a whole and Coach Choate know that things can only get better from here.

When asked what his first impressions of the team were, Choate said “[I’m] excited about how hard they work, and how much they wanna be good. You can put out clear goals for them and they’ll want to reach [them].” To him, being a hardworking and cohesive unit is the most important.

Improving their overall teamwork definitely seems like it’s an overarching hope for the team; they only want to improve and take the football program in the direction that will help it succeed.

“I aim to take our football program towards a better path,” said Flores. “I want our incoming freshmen…to be proud to call themselves an Aztec football player.” With the way things are going now, and with the team’s potential being put on display, Flores said “we are returning to the roots of Aztec football”.

While the contents of next season are still obviously a mystery, the team is practicing hard and improving for the upcoming season; when it hits, they’ll be stronger and they’ll be ready.

“You don’t know how many wins [you’re going to get], but everything’s always changing,” said Choate. “I think we have a strong group of seniors; we’ll improve on the record from last year.”

Flores focused more on the team than the upcoming season as a whole: “We must all form a bond together to trust each other and look out for each other no matter what happens. We’re a family; I know not many of the guys like to admit it but we are. We’ve all grown together as a team.”

Things are looking up for Choate and the team, who have incredibly high hopes for fall 2019 and beyond. Everything will change, and some things already have, but they’re all ultimately for the better.