Sutton Douglas Football 2022 Preview

As the football season is underway, starting the season off with a 22-20 win over Martha’s Vineyard, and a 36-6 homecoming win over Bartlett, the team is looking to compete for a district championship like they did in 2020. I spoke with senior captain Javen Nazario and Head Coach Pat Moseley.

Coach Mosely holds three goals for the boys this year: to win the DVC, to qualify for the playoffs, and to win on Thanksgiving because “there is nothing better then the taste of turkey after you win on Thanksgiving.”

I asked Coach Moseley how he things the boys will live up to his expectations due to how they look in practice and after their first two wins of the season. “We did a lot of good things during [the} Martha’s Vineyard [game], we were able to run the ball more successfully then I thought we were going to.”

Coach wants to improve more from game to game, and was excited about the ability to run the ball. In order to throw the ball they need to be able to run the ball, “and with Cam {Cameron Benedict] at quarter back, and his arm, and his ability to see the field, we want to give him the opportunity to find open receivers down field” Moseley says as he holds full confidence in Cam to hit receivers deep down field.

We talked about the team’s goals. He is confident they will have success, but doesn’t want the team to get complacent after starting the season 2-0. I was curious about what they would need to do in order to meet these goals. “Just keep working” Coach Moseley says. “Day in and day out. Every single practice is an opportunity for us to get 1% better.”

Coach finds film to be a huge part of the team’s success. “When we’re in film, we’re not just calling guys out just because it’s fun, we’re calling guys out on the little mistakes we made to focus on getting better, and so your teammates can also understand what we’re looking for as coaches.”

Javen plays a huge role in both of their wins, he is ready for the rest of the season. I asked him how he was feeling about the team’s quality start. “We want to make the playoffs, I think we could pull together some more wins but we need to keep working and improving so that we can be where we want to be at.”

He also mentions how they have never made the playoffs, but says “it would be the first year, and it’s definitely a big goal of ours.” Javen’s work ethic is well known, and I wondered what he and other guys did in the off season. “In the mornings some of the guys, myself included, would go lift, I would go to the track, go to the gym on my own, and me and Cam would go the field twice a week to do whatever they can to be better. We treat the offseason like the regular season.”

Knowing that the team is very young, I asked him what he is doing to help the younger guys succeed. “Just encourage them to work hard. To set a good example for them, tell them to get in the weight room, get on the field during the offseason and just work hard during practice and try as hard as they can to be successful, and in the future even when I’m not there.”

Javen takes pride in his team, and wants the team to be successful, not only when he’s there, but in the future too. He wants to build the program so that they will find success even when he’s gone.

After talking to Coach and Javen, I learned a lot about this football team, and what they need to do on a daily basis. The team is looking forward to a great season. This game takes a lot of dedication and focus in order to get things done and make things happen. Good things are coming, and the fans will enjoy the journey.