Last year, crowds went wild for the 2013-2014 season of Cavalier Nation football. Gables’ team won districts and made it all the way to regional finals. This year, hopes for the team are even higher.

“Our goal for this year is to be the state champions and win a second district title in a row, which would be great for the school. It is more like an expectation, because we have enough talent and enough want to do it,” Coach Pollard said.

Pollard works throughout the summer to try and train the players physically and mentally. On Wednesdays, Pollard likes to work on something he calls “Player Development.” During this time, he helps them build mental strength by watching inspirational videos with them, some of which have been about Frank Gore, Gables football alumnus and current running back for the San Francisco 49ers. In an effort to inspire the underclassmen players, senior football players tell the rest of the team about their past experiences with football, encouraging them to work hard in the year to come.

Also, there has been a change in this year’s training. Because of an increase of students participating in the training, Pollard divided the football team into a senior/junior group and a sophomore/freshman group instead of dividing the freshmen. To add a twist to their training, football players sometimes switch places with the Gablettes to focus on flexibility.  This change also helps the Gablettes with their physical abilities. This year, Pollard is putting a larger emphasis on “Player Development” than previous years. As for the new members of the Cavalier Nation, Pollard expects them to be practicing day-in and day-out. The older, more experienced members are encouraged to help guide the new members. Pollard not only wants their attendance and heart, but requests for each student to give 110 percent.

“My thoughts on the number of people attending this summer are basically ‘the more the merrier!’ There is kind of a sense of distrust with some of the new players because they weren’t here when [the juniors and seniors] were not as good, but that doesn’t really matter. The more people, the more talent,” junior Andre Casas said.

This year’s team has hopes to be just as successful as the last. There’s a storm coming, and it’s called Cavalier Nation!