AZLE CHRISTIAN CRUSADERS
2021 CRUSADERS
7-4 OVERALL
3-2 DISTRICT
start your day ,” he said . “ They weren ’ t used to it and it was difficult for them , but all in all , the majority of the team stuck with it and believed in it .
“ In the big picture , it ’ s my philosophy that the weight room is a great tool to teach work ethic that will not only benefit the athlete now , but more importantly , later in life , far after they are done playing .”
And having only six players on the field at a time makes development of those athletes super crucial , as well as making sure they know they will all contribute in one way or another .
“ The misnomer among many fans is that your starters are the ones who will take you to the championship ,” Saunders said . “ That is just plain false . It ’ s the entire team that will take you to the championship . Football is a demanding sport and we need everyone to be involved for us to be successful .”
To be a team that means the players must come together and share the passion and drive to succeed . Without it , there ’ s a 100-percent chance of failure , the head coach said .
“ As with any family , it takes work , love and oftentimes conflict to get everybody on the same page ,” he said . “ We are in a fantastic place at the moment , but it has taken work to get here — not only by just me but the players , the player ’ s families , the school , the faculty , the administration , the church and the community . With that said , everyday we will face new challenges and obstacles together .”
Heading into the new season , Saunders will be emphasizing a motto that the players no doubt know well by now : G . ( God first in everything ) U . ( unity ) T . ( trustworthiness ) S . ( strength )
That acronym , along with the impact the former Coach Rushing — who also coached Saunders when he was in high school — left on him , will no doubt serve Saunders and the Azle Christian crew well this season .
“ I absolutely love the man and his wife , Sherry . They are amazing , amazing people ,” Saunders said . “ He was by far one of the most influential men that I had in my life as a high school kid and he is a big reason that I even went into this profession . With that said , the attitude is just a lot different .
“ I ’ m very pleased with where we are as a team and how focused we seem to be at how far we want to go .” ★
14
FIRST DOWN !