With this new and upcoming season, the Canyon Cougar Varsity football team has been hard at work over this 2023 off-season. With a new head coach (Nate Leonard) and newly added faces to the varsity team, the question is” How do they compare to last year’s team?” Talking with our brand new head coach, we may have the answer to that question.

To prepare for the new season, Coach Leonard said the team has gone through a lot of competition and remarks that the football season is full of competition and that, rather than waiting till fall to start working through competitions, they want to start early in the summer to get a head start. His reason for starting the off-season so early is that they don’t need any wasted time throughout the very competitive season. The way the team started the off-season was by starting what’s called “boot camp” where the drills they do are very detail-oriented. 

Coach Leonard said,  “A successful boot camp sets you up for a successful season.” He also adds that the chemistry is the best it’s been since he’s been here at Canyon High School. He said that along with the players, the staff is working very well together as a group. 

When asked about his new role as a head coach, he said that he is still learning and that he’ll never proclaim that he knows it all. He finishes off with words that hint at a bright future: “This is where I want to be and this is what I want to be doing.”

Following the heartbreaking three-point loss against C.C. Veterans Memorial, Coach Leonard said that he blames himself for the loss and not preparing the athletes to the best of his ability. 

This upcoming game against New Braunfels High School sparks a new fight for our Cougars. Coming off an amazing year where the team made it to the playoffs, they hope to repeat as playoff contenders this coming season. Looking at the team and the coaching staff around them, it looks to be a very interesting and exciting year for the Cougars.