As the 2024 San Rafael football season gets underway, the team embarks on a new journey in a new division. They were placed at the bottom of the three tiers in the new Redwood Empire Adobe League and now have to work their way back up to the top. They are set to face some old rivals and brand-new teams from all over the Bay Area and other parts of northern California. The new divisions were put together based on the previous three years and how they performed. This will hopefully make for much more competitive and fun games.
Head Coach Casey Sully said, “We don’t just say we can win the league; we now truly believe it.” Playing the weaker teams has given the team new belief in its ability to go out and win every week.
Varsity captain of the SRHS team, CJ Harter said, “We truly believe that we have a chance now.” The new hope of the new division has fueled their team to work harder. They push themselves every day for the same goal, which, now more than ever, they believe is achievable.
Joe Miller, another varsity captain, said, “We are enjoying the game more than ever without having to play the top teams such as Marin Catholic and San Marin. We now can win every game and are enjoying equal competition.” He believes this allows them to show off their true potential.
Not only has the change made the games more competitive, but it has also given the team a newfound passion for the game and more motivation and dedication. The enjoyment has brought the teamtogether and perhaps allowed them to get off to a successful start with a 4-2 record.
SR football hasn’t had a winning season in 11 years, and now the team is passionate and hopeful that this is their chance to make history. As the whole program turns a new page, they set out with a clear goal they genuinely believe is manageable and expected.
While teams like SR are thriving off of the new division changes, some of the stronger teams that used to be in MCAL are facing some new, unfamiliar challenges. For the first time in a long time, they are being tested and having to truly push themselves to win games.
Marin Catholic cornerback Chase Merrick said, “We still prepare the same way and work hard, but it is fun to finally play equal competition. While it might not be as easy, we are embracing and enjoying the challenge.”
While Marin Catholic is facing a whole new hurdle, it has yet to deter the team’s mindset. Regardless of their start, they continue to prepare the same way and focus on their goal. The realignment has given them challenges, but it allows them to grow with more competitive games.
With the choice to structure the divisions based on the past three years, Coach Sully said, “We are a little disappointed that the divisions were made based on the record before I was able to work with my players, but it gives us something to work towards.” He now wants his team to continue to grow with the new competition and work his way back up the tiers.
They now have a new incentive to win the league. They don’t just get to call themselves champions; winning the league also comes with promotion. It gives them the chance to face even better competition and push themselves to grow and improve.
As of now, the realignment has helped SRHS. The team hopes to continue building on its 4-2 record and keep its winning ways going. Although SRHS has benefited from the changes, other schools may struggle wi
th better competition, so promotion and relegation are in effect to eventually balance out the divisions to good equal competition.
This would allow teams to work towards something more significant and help the struggling teams go down and play fairer competition. Constant change should create a long-term solution, creating exciting competition with fun and competitive games every week.
