2026 Prep Football Team Previews: Kofa Kings

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - After finishing 4-6 last year, Kofa looks to continue to turn the football program around under second year head coach Austin Browning.

Prior to the 2025 season, the kings went on a 27-game losing streak with no bright future. Despite the history of the program, Coach Browning believes in his players after an offseason of hard work.

"We're embracing the fact that we've had a struggling past and we take a head on and creating a blue-collar environment where they're working. Nothing's given," Browning said. "Everything needs to be earned. So a lot of the times, most of the kids that come in here they understand what hard work looks like and especially me being my second year they put in the work this summer and really got after it."

For senior linebacker David Elias, this is his first season playing football, but he's not unfamiliar with contact sports.

Elias is a state champion wrestler for the kings, and is embracing the new challenges on the gridiron.

"This is a tough sport. Wrestling is a tough sport. Both are like combat sports. I like being in contact. I like being gritty. From what Coach Browning teaches us, very gritty, very rough style of playing football. Yeah it’s my first time playing football, but I have that confidence. My coaches believe in me, my teammates believe in me," Elias said.

There are 27 seniors on this team, seven more than last year. For Sam Nunez, this season is special for him.

"I'm pretty excited. Probably the most excited since my fresh year because I feel like we just have a lot of really special guys and we work really well together as a team. So I'm really excited for the season," Nunez said.

Another senior, Nigel Escalante, has been through the ups and downs with Kofa. With the new season ahead, he says the team chemistry is at an all time high.

"I feel good about the season. I feel like as a team, we could accomplish so many things this season. I think us communicating with each other, our chemistry and like just talking with each other, basically lit up our team," Escalante said.

For Coach Browning, he wants his players to have success on and off the field in the long run. 

"There's new schools popping up left and right. And the biggest thing is that if you have a multi-sport athlete, they're able to go play college. But when it comes to the football season in general, these kids have worked so hard and I think all of my coaching stuff has really just embraced the fact that this is a blue-collar program and really embracing that we're leading these kids into successful futures," Browning said.

Kofa kicks off their season at home against Maryvale on Friday, August 28. The team says their goals for this season is to win their region and make playoffs, which they have only done twice in program history.