The Burroughs football program underwent a drastic change in performance under coach Jesse Craven, going from a one-win team to Pacific League champions in four seasons.
Now that Craven is set to take over the Westlake football program, he wants to build confidence through small increments.
“The kids are unique in terms of where their confidence is,” Craven said. “And it’s putting them in situations early on where they can get small wins, whether it be in terms of the weight room or whether it be in different competitive situations.
“There’s a lot of talent just on the team already at Westlake, and it’s just really about getting these guys moving in the same direction.”
@haleymsawyer Jesse Craven was hired as the Westlake football coach and is focused on small wins as he rebuilds the program. #westlake #westlakehighschool #highschoolfootball #socalfootball
♬ original sound – Haley Sawyer
Westlake announced the hiring of Craven, pending approval from the Conejo Valley Unified School District Board, on Friday, Dec. 1.
“We look forward to seeing the immediate steps taken in the offseason and the positive results that will follow next fall,” the school said in a statement accompanying the announcement.
— Westlake Athletics (@_WHSAthletics_) December 1, 2023
Craven has already met with parents and held a meeting for players on Monday night, which 70 players attended. He said that the support behind the program is one of the reasons why he was drawn to coaching at Westlake.
Burroughs went 9-2 overall and 5-0 in Pacific League play this season to win the league title, and Craven was named the league’s coach of the year. In his first season, the Bears were 1-4 overall in 2020.
Meanwhile, Westlake struggled this season. Starting quarterback Tagg Harrison left the team, a player died due to an asthma-related incident and previous head coach Mark Servé was dismissed in mid-September, leaving Ellis…
Read the full article here
