When J Jensen was hired as the head football coach of Mayde Creek, he knew that he had a special opportunity.

Although the Rams missed the playoffs last season and only won one game in District 19-6A, the team’s best season in over two decades came the season before under now Jordan head coach Mike Rabe.

It was also a chance for Jensen to return home to the school where he graduated in 1998 and was an assistant coach at from 2005-2010.

“It’s been great,” Jensen said. “My biggest thing is instilling being a great teammate, being a leader in the community and doing exactly what’s right for the Rams. From the time that we’ve got here to now, you can see that guys have grown. When we first got here guys might yell after an incomplete pass, now they’re picking the ball up and talking to the quarterback and trying to figure things out. We want to teach people how to be leaders and how to pick their teammates up.”

For this year’s senior class, it’s the third head coach they’ve had in three years. But the team has bought in to Jensen’s culture and has taken to the new offense and defense that have been installed.

“They’ve been doing a lot of learning and they’ve been focused and ready,” Jensen said. “They’re learning exactly what their job is on every play and just doing your job on that, not someone else’s. Don’t try to step outside the scheme, don’t try to do too much. Let the scheme win on defense and offense and focus on what you should be doing. If all 11 people do that, then we will be in great shape.”

The Rams lost 28 players to graduation this year and return 15 varsity players, but only three offensive starters and five defensive starters.

Still, Jensen has seen leadership from players trying to help people without varsity experience understand what it takes to be successful.

“Leadership is earned through sweat and the respect you demand on the field, and some guys have definitely earned that so far,” Jensen said. “Our seniors have done a great job and so have our juniors. They really are pushing each other to get to that next level and holding their teammates accountable. If we make a mistake they don’t yell or put them down, they go and encourage the guy and help them fix it, which is exactly what you want.”

Key players for the team include Jordan Kelly (WR, S), Tay’Shawn Wilson (CB, S), Emiliano Gonzalez (OL) and Leroy Turner (WR) as well as the teams edge rushers on defense including Greg Meeks, Xavier Hansen and Kyle Johnson.

Mayde Creek will open its schedule at Cypress Lakes on Sept. 2 and will open district play against Cinco Ranch at Rhodes Stadium.

“The kids are doing better every day,” Jensen said. “That’s the key is to keep getting better and have that consistency. It’s going to be great once we have that film to look at and show them so that we can continue to make improvements and show them how to pay attention to detail and focus on exactly what they have to do on every play. That’s how you get better and how you’ll be ready for district.”