Wednesday night, on the eve of Thanksgiving, the Cabrillo Jaguars assembled at the El Dorado Golf Course banquet room to sit down for a final dinner together as a team, and to give their thanks.  “Tonight is our Thanksgiving,” coach AJ Luke said in his opening speech.  “Last year the team had pizza in the school cafeteria.  We are never going out like that again.”  The dinner was also Cabrillo’s award banquet, but the night was about more than honoring the players and their season; it was yet another of the many things that Luke has implemented in his first year as head coach to build what he calls “the Cabrillo tradition,” a tradition of success, of pride, and of gratitude to the coaches, players, staff, and parents that sacrifice their time and effort to better their school and their community. 

Despite the tough season at 0-10, everyone at the dinner was happy.  For the coaches, they were happy to see the monumental improvement the team made throughout the course of the season.  For the seniors, there was joy about their opportunities for next year, with a number of them getting looked at by schools.  For the returning players, there was an overwhelming sense of optimism at the seasons to come for the Jaguars, at the prospect of helping the Cabrillo tradition find its place in the community. 

Darrell Rideaux, the Poly alum and former USC Trojan who did a brief NFL stint, was the night’s keynote speaker.  He made comparisons to his time at USC (the rebuilding years that brought them to where they are now) and this time in the Jaguars’ short history.  He told the seniors to be proud of their accomplishments on the field, and assured them that their efforts this season are integral to the strength of the foundation coach Luke is laying. 

Rick Lamprecht, the athletic director at Cabrillo, spoke as well, commending the coaches and players on their achievements this year, letting them know “You have met every goal we have set for you guys this year.”  Lamprecht announced later to coach Luke: “You are my hero. You are the first coach that I hired as the AD. You are safe, you are here, you are my head football coach, and will be for as long as you want to be.” 

The Thanksgiving eve banquet is to become a tradition for the Jaguars, a time for them to, regardless of whether the season is over or not, take some time to relax and give thanks for the one thing they can always count on: each other.