TexasFootball.com Team to Watch: Lubbock Roosevelt

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Lubbock Roosevelt coach Matt Landers knows all too well his program’s history.

“We are really excited, and our community is really excited,” Landers said Sunday after his team blanked Reagan County to move to 7-0 on the season. “I’m 34, and the last time we started 7-0 was before I was born. We’ve been blessed so far.”

The Eagles’ last 7-0 start came in 1986, but that milestone team is all but ancient history to the players who’ve played key roles in crafting the team’s 2020 success. So far, Roosevelt’s accomplishments include the school’s first winning season since 2014 and the most wins since 2008. The success has completely flipped the school’s most recent history: an 0-10 season in 2017 that led to Landers’ arrival. The team took baby steps – one win in 2018 followed by three wins and a playoff berth in 2019 – before this year’s quantum leap.

“The players have really bought into a brotherhood mentality,” Landers said. “Our motto is ‘Band of Brothers’ and you can really see that with our team. You can see it in the locker room, on the field and in the community. They trust each other and really enjoy hanging out with each other.”

They’ve also bought into Landers’ flex-bone offense and new defensive coordinator Jacob Burk’s aggressive scheme. In their seven wins, the Eagles have rushed for 376 yards per game behind quarterback Jacob Torrez and running backs AJ Trevino and Kenyon Taylor, who’ve combined for more than 2,100 yards and 29 scores. While they enjoy carrying the ball, Landers has been most impressed with their desire to block when they don’t get the ball.

“With our size, we’re more like Army or Navy or even [Amarillo] Tascosa,” Landers said of his offensive approach. “That really fits our style and the culture of selflessness that we’ve built. These guys would all rather block for a teammate than carry the ball.”

There’s been plenty of blocking from an experienced offensive line that’s giving opposing defenses fits.

“It’s four juniors and a sophomore,” Landers said. “They aren’t very big but they pride themselves on making blocks. The backs understand what they do for this team.”

The offense’s option-based success has almost overshadowed what the Eagles have done when they don’t have the ball. Roosevelt has allowed just 25 points all season, 18 of which came in a 28-18 win over Stanton. Playing an aggressive four-down front designed to keep blockers off linebackers, the Eagles have flown to the ball, picking up 23 sacks and 81 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

“These guys aren’t worried about who’s making how many tackles,” Landers said. “The only goal is to make sure the other team doesn’t score touchdowns.”

The combination has everyone – school and community – excited about what else the team can accomplish. With a big game against Abernathy on the immediate horizon, Landers stresses that the team’s just going to follow the process that’s worked so far: Enjoy Friday’s win and get back to work on Monday.

“We don’t treat any game differently,” he said. “We’re still learning how to win. We treat each game like it’s a championship game. We are preparing for a good team with lots of history and really good players.”

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