Kingsmen Football Looks for Recruits for Upcoming 2020 Season

Junior+wide+receiver+James+Holland+runs+to+prepare+for+a+catch+against+Pacific+University+on+Sept.+21.

Gabby Flores

Junior wide receiver James Holland runs to prepare for a catch against Pacific University on Sept. 21.

Antonio Valle, Reporter

The 2019 California Lutheran University Kingsmen football team finished 5-5 overall andย  4-3 in conference play, placing the team at No. 4 in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.ย 

This season, the Kingsmen had nine student-athletes that were recognized as All-SCIAC athletes. Four athletes were 1st Team All-SCIAC including defensive back Obasi Dees, who was the first Kingsmen to be recognized as All-SCIAC all four years of his career.ย 

The Kingsmen also had five athletes who made 2nd Team All-SCIAC including wide receiver Cameron Jones and quarterback Cesar De Leon.ย 

The Kingsmen have 18 positions that need to be filled for the 2020 season.

โ€œThe number one need for us is cornerback. From there, Iโ€™d say that running back and tight end will be our next biggest holes to fill,โ€ Head Coach Ben McEnroe said. โ€œI am very excited about our offensive and defensive lines over the next 3 to 4 years. We have a chance to be elite on both lines and when you have that, you have a chance to be pretty good.โ€

Since the Kingsmen are losing many seniors, the coaching staff is working to garner recruits for the upcoming season.ย 

โ€œOur top criteria for evaluating a potential player is โ€˜does he make plays?โ€™ Itโ€™s that simple for us,โ€ McEnroe said. โ€œFrom there, we evaluate his academic accomplishments, speak with coaches, then develop a relationship with the prospect and his family.โ€

The social-distancing practices implemented in response to COVID-19 are making spring workouts nearly impossible during this offseason.

โ€œAt this point in time, Iโ€™m just looking forward to being with our team again. We were playing our best football at the end of 2019, and our off-season was going great before the COVID-19 hit and everything was shut down,โ€ McEnroe said. โ€œTraining camp canโ€™t get here soon enough for me. I love this team and I love hanging out with the players and coaches.โ€

After their overall 5-5 record this past season, the Kingsmen have their eyes set on a new goal for this season.ย 

โ€œWeโ€™ve had the same end goal in every one of my 13 seasons; to be the SCIAC champions, which also means a birth in the NCAA playoffs,โ€ McEnroe said. โ€œWe will be young again next season, but the chemistry and talent are outstanding.โ€

Along with being the head coach, McEnroe is also the offensive line coach. He is excited for the season ahead and shares a message for the team.

โ€œKeep growing. Weโ€™ve put-in a lot of work, both on the physical side and in the overall development of this team,โ€ McEnroe said. โ€œLife presents us with a lot of challenges, so we need to have the ability to deal with those and to thrive in the chaos.โ€