LBS Football a Game Changer

Congratulations to Coach Lopes named SB All-County Football Coach of the Year

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Shane Lopes, who guided Laguna Blanca to its first ever CIF championship game, was named South Coast Football Coach of the Year. He was honored in January at a Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon at Harry’s Plaza Cafe. He was also named SB All-County Football Coach of the Year in 2013.

 

Lopes did a remarkable job of teaching and building up individual players and getting them to work together and believe they could be successful.

 

Under his leadership, the Owls went 8-3, with its losses coming against 8-man Division 1 teams Ánimo Jackie Robinson in Los Angeles and Cate during the regular season and second-seeded Lancaster Baptist in the Division 2 championship game in Lancaster.

 

Laguna traveled more than 200 miles and defeated fourth-seeded Desert Christian in the quarterfinals and went on to upset No. 1 seed Hesperia Christian in the semifinals. In that semifinal game, seniors Aidan O’Donnell and Miles McGovern stopped Hesperia Christian’s talented quarterback on a fourth-down play inside the 10-yard line to secure the win.

 

“Reaching the championship was a vision that originated with the freshmen of 2012 (class of 2016–older brothers of the current senior class). Throughout this journey, we rarely used the words win or championship,” says Coach Lopes. “There were many early morning workouts and intense afternoon practices with the players focused on the process and working as a team. Seeing the transformation of their characters was priceless and far more rewarding than any win. And going further than any other Laguna football team is proof that football can thrive in our small community.”