SAN ANGELO, Texas — The 2023-24 Lake View Chiefs soccer team is 14-1 and in first place of their district halfway through their season. Last year, they finished 20-1-1 and went into the 2nd round of the UIL Soccer playoffs.
While their recent success has been a testament to how hard they have worked over the last few years, it also serves as a constant sense of motivation because of where the program was before.
Under previous coaches, Lake View had won a total of 15 games over a six season period from 2013-2018. In year one of Kyle Jones hiring back in 2018, the Chiefs went 2-18, and finished the season on a 14 game losing skid.
While Jones knew he was coming into a program that had plenty of bumps needed to be smoothened out, he never lost faith.
"It was tough, but I knew what the program needed and we needed the buy-in from everyone coming back (returning to the team after his first season). It is definitely not easy trying to motivate high school kids, every day. We told them if they stick around, they are going to be champions. The ones that bought into that, showed back up the next year, ready to work, ready to go. Since then it has just been a pattern, just building block after building block, one kid at a time," Jones said.
The building blocks have changed, but his foundation has stayed intact throughout the years of players coming in and out of the program. For Striker Elvis Koech and Forward Sterling Gray, Coach Jones faith-based leadership has allowed the team to grow amongst one another and it has led to victories.
"A lot of this has come from Coach Jones, he has always pushed us and told us to keep going, keep winning, keep God first," Koech said.
"I think Coach and Elvis, they have impacted me with my faith, the entire team with our faith, and it keeps us together throughout everything," Gray said.
With a new culture installed, a philosophy that does not waver and a group of young athletes all bought in, the Chiefs confidence has never been higher.
"I have seen the talent improve over the years. It is been something I have been able to be a part of for four years, and I just feel so blessed. We are together, we have each others backs and we play for each other," Gray said.
The resurrection of the soccer program at Lake View is multi-layered, with an emphasis on faith, family and the sport, assuring the team is all working towards one specific goal. The goal in mind, is a state title.
"It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it (winning a state title). To see these kids so excited, their faces light up when we talk about potentially going into the playoffs and doing something no other school in San Angelo has done (win a state soccer title), it is exciting and what drives us every day," Jones said.
Now the focus for Lake View is on making history in the Concho Valley. In their eyes, a state crown, a lengthy playoff run validate that the once middling soccer program now has a foundation of title contention for years to come.