Cameron Minor is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Mountain Pointe High School for AZPreps365.com

As the football season approaches, Mountain Pointe plans on having a breakout year despite obstacles from the COVID-19 pandemic. It opens up at home against the Higley Knights on October 2, in a non-conference game.

This season looks very different than previous years with no spring football or summer camp. In addition, a familiar face -- former Pride assistant coach Eric Lauer -- returns to take the reigns at Mountain Pointe.

Mountain Pointe lost a record 31 seniors from last season, when the Pride went 1-9. 

This year the team has added Jaden Crockett, a quarterback/defensive back from Phoenix, Alhambra, along with Julian Rohan, a 5’10, 165-pound cornerback from Las Vegas. 

Crockett transferred because his former school decided not to have a football season due to the pandemic. Rohan transferred from Las Vegas Faith Lutheran, which ironically was the only team Mountain Pointe beat last season. 

Lauer said the pandemic affects team chemistry because there has not been a lot of time for the team to get to know each other. 

“It’s hard to build a team when you're in a mask and don’t know each other.” Lauer said. 

For 15 years Lauer was an assistant coach at Mountain Pointe alongside Norris Vaughan during the school's so-called “best times,” where the team made its greatest football run -- going undefeated and winning the state championship in 2013, along with reaching the state finals three times and the semifinals five times. 

Lauer, who served as head coach at Tempe Marcos de Niza the past two seasons, looks to recreate that winning culture now that he's back at Mountain Pointe.

He compared his strategy to building a house as he wants to build a strong foundation and believes in culture over strategy. 

This culture he refers to is the identity of the pride, to be lions on the football field. 

“Embrace the chase, we’re lions, and we gotta eat.” Lauer said.

The Pride have a tough schedule this season, facing off against some of the top schools in their division. 

There will be five home games this season. Although no fans will be in attendance, players and coaches are just excited that football is back and cannot worry about what is out of their control.  

“Friday Nights will still have a kickoff at seven, we can only control what we can control.” Lauer said.

There’s no better time than now for Mountain Pointe to get back to the competitive, fierce team it once was. 

This young talented team is hungry and when that ball is kicked on Friday night and the clock starts winding down they will have a chance to show teams what they are capable of.