Livingston excited to be ‘going back home to where we belong’ in the TVL.

New faces are everywhere on the Livingston High practice field. The Wolves were a senior heavy team last season and return just three of 22 starters from both sides of the ball.

That means Wolves head coach Alex Gonzalez and his coaching staff spend a lot of their time teaching early on this season.

“We’re starting the playbook from scratch,” said Gonzalez, who is in his fifth season guiding the Livingston program. “We’re going back to teaching from square one. The kids are learning. They’re being patient.”

How young are the Wolves?

They return nobody who threw a pass last year. Only two players recorded carries last season, totaling 12 rushes for 51 yards and only one player who caught a pass.

“People don’t expect a lot from Livingston,” said senior Anthony Barajas, who had the one reception for 17 yards last season. “That’s just how it is, but everybody here has been grinding since last year ended.”

If the Wolves struggle this season it won’t be because a lack of hard work.

“Absolutely,” Gonzalez said. “It’s fun teaching stuff in the weight room and teaching stuff out on the field. That’s why we do it. We worked hard with our last group of seniors, making sure they were young, good citizens in the community.”

Seniors like offensive lineman Gio Pulido and linebacker Adam Madrid find themselves moving into leadership roles on the team. They’re helping all the first-year players adjusting to varsity.

“I’ve got to be a leader,” said Pulido, who is the only returning starter on offense. “I’ve got to show these youngsters how to be a dog. I’m looking forward to it.”

“I have to be a captain,” said Madrid. “I have to be a leader for them.”

Gonzalez likes what he has up front with Pulido and the rest of the offensive line. Sophomore Celso Sanchez will have the opportunity to be the lead running back. Sanchez was called up midway through last season as a freshman and scored two touchdowns on just 12 carries.

“A lot of people gave me a lot of advice when I got called up,” Sanchez said. “One thing I learned is if you make a mistake, keep your head up.”

Junior Enrique Vasquez opens the season as the starting quarterback.

“I think we have a lot of speed,” Barajas said. “Our receivers are fast. I think we have running backs that can pound the ball. Everybody is working hard.”

The Wolves are also excited to make the move from the Western Athletic Conference, where they were always one of the smallest schools, to the Trans-Valley League.

“I’m pretty excited,” Gonzalez said. “I know it’s going to be a really competitive league, but in this league teams have players going both ways a lot more than in the WAC. I feel like we’re going back home to where we belong.”

This story was originally published August 15, 2018 at 4:54 PM with the headline "Livingston excited to be ‘going back home to where we belong’ in the TVL.."