East Lee County football off to best start in school history

Writer: Sylvie Sparks
Published: Updated:
East Lee County Football

There’s a new energy in the halls of East Lee County High, because a 3-0 start is a first for Jaguar football.

“The kids feel amazing,” Head Football Coach Herbans Paul said. “I’ve never seen them like this before and I think it’s because they’ve never been like this before.”

In three years, Paul has taken the Jags from a winless season to this historic start.

Humbly, he’s not really surprised. It’s just the beginning of what he and his staff are working toward.

“This is what I thought we would get out of all of the things that we’ve been doing,” Paul said.

Paul credits everything from the community, to the school’s staff, to the players’ grades with contributing to the turn around of the Jags’ program so far.

“If you look at the banners that we have out there, we have so many banners now where when we started there were one or two,” Paul said. “We have teachers already requesting jerseys from kids like, ‘Hey, I want that kid’s jersey because he’s a real good kid. He’s a good student in our classroom.’ And things like that where in the past, we didn’t have that. If you’re elite, you’re not just a good football player. You’re a good student, you’re a good kid, you’re good at every aspect of life and I think they’re meeting us there.”

It’s early in the season and they can’t take their foot off the gas.

“I’m not allowing them to be complacent,” Paul said. “You’re not just going to be 3-0 and it’s just like, ‘Hey, it’s fine. It’s fine.’ No, you’re gonna be 3-0 and you’re still in the hot seat.”

So far this season the Jaguars beat rival Lehigh for the first time in 12 years, shutout Gateway and took down Estero in their home opener last week.

Some of their toughest opponents are on the horizon, but doubting won’t be tolerated.

“Don’t count us out yet,” senior running back Lazaro Rogers said. “Go Jaguars.”

East Lee County will try and improve its win streak to 4-0 on Friday when the Jaguars host another team of big cats, the Cypress Lake Panthers.

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