Kofa Kings football looks to earn their crown in 2021

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Family and unity are the keys to the kingdom that the Kofa football program is leaning on at the turn of the 2021 fall season.

The Kings trying to avenge a difficult shortened 2020 season with a winning and relationship-building mentality ahead of their first game in just over a week. And it's the shirt that second year Head Coach Karl Pope was wearing at the Kings' Tuesday practice that says it all:

"Protect This House."

It is a house that Kofa is building in hopes of reaching new heights under Karl Pope, who played college football locally at Arizona Western College, followed by the University of Delaware.

The Kings struggled in their Covid-shortened season last fall where they only played four games. In those games, Coach Pope eluded to the lack of being able to play all four quarters to the best of their ability. In the new campaign though, the team brings back several returning seniors, mixed with a lot of young talent.

And the man at the helm is hanging his hat on his leaders who return to the field as experienced varsity players to run the show. With a very young team, Pope believes the older guys are doing their part to mold a successful and camaraderie-ridden team.

“The older ones have definitely taken the younger ones under their wings and they’re showing them how to become workers and how to grind through the day and day," said Pope. "And the younger ones are reciprocating that. They’re actually taking it on very well and learning from it but also staying headfast to the goals at hand."

Despite losing some talent on the line, one of the strong points of this Kofa team will be in the trenches on the offensive and defensive line, anchored by Riley Burney. They also bring Michael Martinez into the mix as one of the leaders who has taken a big step forward at the linebacker position.

In one of the most important positions to fill under center, first year varsity player, Leo Cuevo, has taken on a substantial leap at the quarterback position to lead the offense.

But before this team was able to come together in the pre-season, it was a long process to get back on the gridiron. From virtual team meetings to limited workouts over the spring and summer, it was a challenge that the Kings and many other teams were forced to deal with.

For the Kings, Coach Pope made sure to remain optimistic and keep the enthusiasm even without touching the field.

“It was definitely a unique time because it’s not something you normally go through. It was all about sticking to a schedule and sticking to guidelines and finding your way through to make sure you were available," said Pope. "Keeping them involved through the off season was a big part of it. Whether it be through virtual meetings or whatever, we had to keep the enthusiasm virtually...it was a learning process but we got through it and here we are."

With the opening kickoff approaching, it is inevitable that each and every team is reaching for higher ground when it comes to their program. The real challenge is actually succeeding. And there are two huge concepts that Coach Pope has relayed to his team:

Taking it day-by-day and a program-wide relationship.

“That’s the process you take, is day by day. Get 1% better every day because every day matters. Just like we learned in close history, it can be taken away," said Pope. "A big thing for us is making sure we keep our heads focused day-by-day, one thing at a time, brick-by-brick."

And the brick-by-brick motto is the foundation to building their program and taking the crown in high school football and a big part of that is moving as one. Building a family.

"This is a long term relationship you will have for the rest of your life. The sport itself is great, but it’s the relationships that you will build and that’s the biggest thing that I can give to them. When you give this your all, it gives you its all back," added Pope. "It’s about building that inspiration within them to take with the rest of their lives because then they’re going to be in my shoes one day. That’s how you move it forward and that’s how programs build. You want that to be at the center of each player. The heart for the sport itself, but also the heart for the program. The love for being a King.”

The Kings kick off their season on the road in a tough battle across state lines, as they look to grab a win in a visit to Southwest high school on September 11th.