by Makaylee Allen

Often the lessons taught both on and off the field are the most important for student athletes. The Daily Trot discussed this year's Stallions as well as Head Coach Tony Aguilar's vision, leadership and how he wants his team to learn from both wins and losses.

The Stallions started the season with a 3-0, what do you think clicked early for this team?

"I think just building off last year. I think the guys were excited to get the year started and just felt like we had a lot to prove early on, and I thought we did that in the beginning."

The first loss of the season against Southern Alamance. What was the biggest lesson the team took away from this game?

"That game was a butt-whopping, and we definitely got handled up front and it was not a good game for us all around. We learned that we are not invincible, we learned that obviously you try to take every game as it’s your last but I think we definitely learned that lesson because you never know [what can happen]. You can’t take anything for granted. I feel like the kids played hard and we just got outplayed, and I said it to them that I got outcoached and I just didn't think as a team and as a unit that we did very well. So we learned from that. We licked our wounds, we cried, we yelled and got onto each other, but I think, in the end, it’s making us stronger."

How did the team respond in practice as they prepared for the match up against the Cummings Cavaliers. 

"Monday was a practice where I think they thought they were probably going to get [them] run to death, but we knew we had to kind of keep the energy high. It was one we knew that we had to build on, so I thought the kids responded. They came out to practice Monday ready to work, and they knew we had to, as you say “flush that loss down the toilet,” and kind of move on. I thought they did that, and they handled the week well. It was a really good week of practice, and we were ready to get back on our winning track."

The win over the Cavaliers was a big one. What stood out to you most in that game? 

“We executed well in all three phases. I felt like special teams worked well, and Josh Gant took one to the house. I thought Aiden and the kickoff team did really well. Special teams were very solid. Our offense was able to put up points, we were able to run the ball and our O-line did a really good job. Our defense also did a great job, they created turnovers which is something we haven't been able to do [much of] all season."

What do you think makes this team so much different than last year?

“I would say it took a while for our seniors to know who they are. For two years we relied on the Ryan Dodsons (class of 2025) of the world and even Landon Dodson (class of 2025) and some of those guys that have been around. They were trying to find out their own niche, and I think they did find it. I think we have some really good leaders and some really good seniors and some guys who have been around since the start."

What do you hope the seniors take away from this team and this season?

"You know, obviously, wins and losses is how they’re always judged, but to me, seeing these guys graduate, getting invited to their weddings as they get older and become good dads, good husbands and great brothers and uncles - to me that’s what's always important. I think these guys are learning to become a family, learning what it means to really be there for each other, and I think that will carry them a long way in life. The wins and losses definitely take care of themselves. These guys are not used to losing, which is a good thing. That's a great culture we have built and I think they have done a really good job of just keeping the standard of what it means to be a Southeast Stallion football player and that means working hard and doing the right things on and off the field."

What would you like the Southeast community to know about this team?

“I’d like them to think that this year's team is still a very exciting group of men. We have Tyler Jackson moving in and making himself known, and he really gets our offense rolling. We can throw it, and we can run it. I think our defense is very exciting, and they can make some plays as well. I want them to know that these guys play for their community as well as for their school. They take a lot of pride in being a Stallion (as do the coaches), and we feel like everyone's involved in this [program]. It’s not just the football team that out there: It’s the band, it’s the cheerleaders, it's the dance team. A lot of people invest a lot of time into our team, and we take a lot of pride in just being the face of our community."