The varsity football team walked onto their home field with their heads held high, led by a new head coach whose coaching style and focus make for a promising football season.

Corky Henderson, who has been a member of the football coaching staff since 1999, switched this year from coaching JV to coaching varsity.

Henderson said his coaching transition has been very smooth because 22 of last year’s JV players moved up to varsity with him. However, Henderson said they are working very hard to improve the team’s success.

“This is a year that’s going to have some growing pains because we have all new coaches and a whole new system,” Henderson said.

As well as a new head coach, the varsity team has a new playbook. Although the playbook is simpler than that of previous years, the players still have to learn all of the new terminology and become accustomed to the remodeled plays.

“It’s kind of like if you showed up for school, first day of school and they changed the language,” Henderson said. “They have got to learn a whole new terminology, and that’s the hard part where the confusion comes in.”

According to Mesker, a varsity team captain, Henderson has pushed the team a lot harder during practice this season than they previously had been.  For example, they wear pads all week except Mondays when they have conditioning, unlike last year where they only wore pads some days of the week.

Last season the varsity football team ended with only 18 players on the roster. This year, there are 39 players on the team and a couple more may be added, rounding the roster up to 41 players.

Henderson said that having more players will benefit the team in the long run.

“It’s better to have more players because the competition’s better. Obviously someone who has to earn a spot competing against 40 guys usually has to work a bit harder than someone that only has to work with 12 players,” Henderson said.  “That said, everyone on the team has a spot to play and everyone plays.”

According to Mesker, the team is coached a lot differently than it was under the previous coach, Jon Hirsch.

“Coach Henderson brings something different to the table, just a different feel to the team,” said senior Bret Seidler.

Varsity football’s next game is against Marin Catholic on Sept. 29.