As the 2025 Lakeview Varsity Football season reaches it’s halfway point, the Lakeview football players have shown growth and resilience thanks to the support from their coaches. During the off-season, Coaches pushed the players very hard in order to prepare them for challenges ahead. Each and everyone of these Football players have given it their all whether that’s on or off the field by lifting in the weight room during the off season and showing up to the summer practices ready to work. The Coaches have worked very hard coming up with new playbook ideas and a program that will ensure that players learn discipline, respect, and teamwork.
Each Coach has big expectations for their players, pushing them to improve everyday during practice and give maximum effort both on and off the field.
Head Coach Ron DeJulio, Jr. is asked, “What are your expectations for our team and the rest of the season, and how do you plan to help us achieve them?” DeJulio answers, “The expectations that I have for the entire team for the rest of the season is for you to get better every day in practice and compete. I want you to fight for one another and hold one another accountable when it comes to effort and commitment to the team.”
DeJulio Jr. adds, “How do I plan to get you there? By coaching you hard every day. Holding you to the standards that we have set as a Lakeview Bulldog. I will make sure that you are prepared mentally and physically to compete. Our job as coaches is to put you in the best position to succeed. We will build game plans that utilize our strengths, and try to push all of you to levels that you may not think you are capable of.”
With the upcoming game versus the Niles Dragons, Friday September 19th, the Bulldogs have an opportunity to come out and make a statement. The Dragons enter the matchup with a record of 0-4 and Lakeview currently 2-2. With Lakeview’s previous loss versus South Range they are ready to come out and set the tone early. Gain yards. Get touchdowns. And most importantly have fun. Lakeview still understands that each and every team still brings challenges, therefore they are still practicing and planning like they would before playing any other team.
On the offensive side of the ball, Coach Kevin Haynie has worked closely with players in order to establish consistency. Haynie believes that mental toughness plays a big role in how you perform during both practice and games.
Coach Haynie is asked, “What role do you believe mental toughness and sports psychology play in a player’s development and the team’s success?” Haynie replies, “Mental toughness may be just as important as physical toughness. I have coached many kids who struggled mentally and were physically gifted. If you don’t have both mental and physical toughness you will struggle. The mental aspect is positive interaction that players need to build daily.”
Haynie goes on to add, “Players are only as good as they believe they are. There’s an old saying that the player that thinks he will win and the player that thinks he won’t are both right.”
On the defensive side of the ball, Coach Sikora also has very high expectations and has been a great help for all of the defensive players, pushing them to improve every day while also providing the support and guidance needed to help the team succeed.
Sikora is asked, “What qualities do you value most in your defensive player’s beyond pure athleticism, and how do you develop those attributes?” In which Sikora states “I value a player that is able to trust what I am teaching them. Player’s that will take what I teach them in practice and display it in the game. I can accomplish this by building a relationship with the player and helping them to understand that I can help them become a better person as well as a football player.”
With only six more games left for the 2025 season, the Lakeview Bulldogs must stay focused and fight through these upcoming challenges together. Every player on this team has shown maximum effort during practice and now it’s time to put it to the test. With the support from their coaches and fans the Bulldogs are ready to fight for a memorable season.
