Lugo optimistic for new season

Sport: Football

Coach: Tim Lugo

Last year’s record: 3-7 overall, 2-5 league

Last year’s recap: The Falcons had strong talent in many key positions, but multiple injuries and their inability to play together to secure wins hindered them.

Star players: senior receiver Joey Medeiros, junior offensive lineman Adam Camp and junior receiver Vincent Kung

Key additions: sophomores quarterback Will Liddle, receivers Kian Ghelichkhani and Brian Tatman and offensive lineman Aaron Vogel

Key matchups: Los Gatos and Milpitas

Goals for season: “This year anyone who doubted us will eat their words because we have the best team not only because [we’re skilled], but we have [a lot of] team chemistry and are really close together,” said senior running back Ken Wu.

The football team last season had lots of talent in many key positions, but multiple injuries and their inability to work together to secure key wins hindered them from performing decently in their league.

This year, the team will be affected by the losses of key   quarterback alumni Jonathan Walters, nose tackle Mike Fitzsimmons and running back Davis Berryhill. Also, because of a smaller senior class, seven sophomores have been drafted into the varsity team, resulting in a younger team.

Yet, according to head coach Tim Lugo, the sophomores have greatly exceeded his expectations and are of great help to the team. One to watch out for is starting quarterback sophomore Will Liddle, who is expected to fill the shoes of Walters.

“[Liddle] has done everything a quarterback should do,” Lugo said. “ he is looking like he will be at [Walters’s] level by the time he’s a senior. As of now he’s at a higher level than [Walters] was at his age in his time. We ask a lot of him and he’s responded really well.”

Key matchups for the team include Los Gatos, Milpitas and Wilcox, but Lugo believes that the team has the potential to do well.

“All of our opponents are key,” Lugo said. “If we can go into league with a 2-1 record, I think we’re gonna do well. I gotta say this: this team is good enough to go to the playoffs even as young as we are.”