REDZONE 2021: AL Johnson Eagles

Eagles Have Clear Plan for Success in Football Return

Different programs have different markers for what defines success. For the A.L Johnson Eagles and head coach Eugene Foster, success comes from weekly improvement.

“When we talk about obstacles to overcome, we have plenty,” said Foster. “One, we did not play last year, so we have seventh through 10th graders who missed an entire year of football. We missed that in-game growth which I think is very critical to players gaining experience and developing into better players.”

Due to the global pandemic, some schools were unable to field a team to compete in the difficult fall of 2020. ALJHS was one of the squads to miss the season and as a result technically finished with an 0-7 record despite never actually suiting up to play and losing by forfeit. The games won’t count against any official records, however.

Despite all the adversity, Coach Foster believe a key to a solid year for A.L. Johnson is to play team ball. His squad must also score early to play with some confidence while preventing teams from scoring on ALJHS early.
If the team makes progress each game, that is what Foster believes is success for this squad.

“The big takeaway is that all success doesn’t translate to wins,” said Foster. “One goal we have for the season is to get off to a good start. Secondly, we want our key players to show leadership on and off the field.”

Leadership on the field begins with lineman and senior Maurice Davis who plays guard on offense and defensive tackle on the other side of the ball. The Eagles are depending on Davis to anchor the offensive line, and he brings four years of experience to the interior.

Junior quarterback and defensive end Travis Bates brings great leadership qualities between the lines for A.L. Johnson. He has the ability to encourage his teammates during tough moments of the ball game.

Damerius Hart is another senior lineman as he plays tackle on offensive and multiple positions along the defensive line. Foster and the Eagles are depending on him to dominate the right side of the offensive line while being a vocal leader on the field.

The ALJHS offense features a dynamic running back who can also play other positions. Senior Lamar Williams is listed as a running back as well as wide receiver and linebacker. Foster said Williams can play five or six positions effectively, and the coach is counting on him to be a game changer.

Foster is counting on the young team along with the few veteran leaders to adapt to different offensive and defensive schemes this season from years past which are aimed to put the team in the best position to be successful.
“We want our fans to know that we will play as hard as we can, so that we can bring that Eagle winning spirit back to A.L. Johnson,” said Foster.