Lake View High School Prepares For Challenging Football Season Ahead

SAN ANGELO, TX-- Following the abrupt departure of Head Coach Doug Kuhlmann, new Head Coach Hector Guevara is tasked with turning around a Lake View Chief team that won only one game in 2016, while also going 0-5 in district 4-5A play. With nine returning starters, it’s hard to see how 2017 wouldn’t be an improvement for the Chiefs; but district 4-5A will be tough sledding for the Chiefs once again in 2017.

Guevara comes to Lake View with a winning tradition from Bovina in tow and seven playoff appearances to his credit. However, there’s a huge jump between 2A and 5A when it comes to overall athleticism, and district 4-5A is no slouch in that light. “I’m ecstatic to get started,” Guevara said. “It’s been chaotic and I’m ready to get started.”

Although Guevara has had a lot of achievements, there’s no reason to put all of the expectations solely on Guevara as he is inheriting a team with plenty of athleticism itself. Senior quarterback Henry Nickias returns for his final year as the signal caller for the Chiefs following a relatively good 2016 season with 989 yards passing and 13 touchdowns. Any success had by Lake View’s offense, and even the team as a whole, will primarily hinge upon Nickias’ performance. “We're going to throw the ball around more,” Guevara said. Last year, at Bovina, Guevara's offense tallied over 3,000 yards passing.

The return of speedy senior running back/wide receiver Alex Ayala will help lighten the load of Nickias’. Last year, primarily as a running back, Ayala racked up 753 rushing yards and four scores for the Chiefs. Ayala is known for his speed, clocking a 40-yard dash time of 4.7 seconds in the spring, making him the primary target in this Lake View offense.

The Chiefs, on both sides of the ball, will struggle in the trenches with center Anthony Guevara being the only returning starting lineman on the offensive line. The inexperience of this group will wreak havoc on themselves and put Lake View in tough situations throughout the season.

Combine inexperience with a new coach and a tough schedule, and you have the making for a season full of challenges in Hector Guevara’s first year. Lake View goes 1-9 in 2017 with a 0-5 record in district play. However, fans will start to see the pieces fall into place with Guevara at the helm.

The Chiefs open up the season at San Angelo Stadium on September 1^st at 7:30 p.m. against 4A foe Andrews High School.