LENA, La. (KALB) - Looking to bounce back from last year’s 2-8 record, the Northwood-Lena Gators plan to write a different story this season, anchored by a group of experienced seniors.
“Setting the standard. The standard for us would be to always go 100%,” said senior Jesus Gonzalez. ”Obviously, sometimes we’re tired, but we always got to go hard. Setting the standard and watching the underclassmen look up to you and just continue to play like you.”
Senior Landdon George said, “I’ve been in football my entire high school career, so it’s fun being able to grow and learn from these guys and now be able to teach the younger kids. To see the impact the guys that before me made, it’s nice to be able to be a role model and teach these kids how to do better.”
As they transition into a new district, the Gators are gearing up for fresh matchups while keeping their rivalries alive.
“I feel like new teams, very brand new start, like fresh heads for everybody,” said senior Kadorian Brown. ”So, it is some teams that we haven’t played before, but I’m very excited to play them. Keep our high-ahead, high going in the district, see what we can do against them."
“No one’s expecting much from us, so we’re going to go out there and prove that we can do something. Get to go out there and set the tone and prove how good of a team we can be,” said George.
It’s been five years since Northwood’s last postseason appearance. Now, the Gators are hungry to not just get back, but to make some serious noise in the playoffs.
“The season goals, I’d say win a lot of games, for sure, and make playoffs, a deep playoff run,” Brown said. “It means a lot because I think seventh grade, that was our last playoff run. Then last year of high school, very deep playoff run, that means everything.”
“Definitely something that’s talked between us is definitely trying to make playoffs,” Gonzalez said. “We’ve got a bunch of new opponents. It’s a clean slate for us, really. It’s a chance for us to do something good. We’ve been chasing this for the past four years, and it’s time for us to do something good. It would be a huge step.”
Coach Tommy Moore said leaving a legacy is important.
“These guys saw that in 21, saw what happened then, and they’ve been hungry ever since then. They saw the type of work that was needed. They saw the excitement that came with that. They wanted to do that again. They want to build something and have the younger group behind them continue to build on that. That’s the special thing about Northwood.”
Coach Moore has spent six years building a culture that values character and focuses on more than just wins.
“He made me the player I am, always pushed me in the weight room and on the field, and that’s what made me better,” said Brown
“I kind of see him like a father figure,” said Gonzalez. “He’s honestly one of the greatest coaches ever. He’s always pushing us, even off the field.”
“He’s just a very dependable father figure,” said George. “He knows my strengths and all that, so I can trust him to put me in a spot to make a play.”
“It just shows that there’s more to life than football,” said Coach Moore. “The lessons you learn on the field, the lessons you learn in the weight room, the lessons you learn on the practice field, that it can translate into everyday life. Once they graduate, once they leave this program, we want them to take that out into their jobs, into their family lives, and be able to say that, ‘Hey, my coach and staff that I played for, they helped me to become the young man that I am.’”
The Northwood-Lena Gators start their 2026 season on the road, taking on the Plain Dealing Lions on September 4 at 7 p.m.
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