LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Little Rock Christian has been the model of consistency for nearly a decade now, always sitting around 10 wins and making noise deep in the state playoffs. But this year in Warriorville, there’s a different keyword heading into the season: new.
“It’s exciting always to start with a new team, a new group and a new season," Little Rock Christian head coach Dustin Grimmett said.
After serving as the defensive coordinator, Grimmett is entering his first year as the Warriors head coach.
"I feel like he brings a lot of energy to the table," Little Rock Christian junior quarterback Kemp Keller said. "I feel like he brings great leadership to the table.
Linebacker Garland Davis agrees after seeing Keller work firsthand with the defense last year.
“Him leading our defense last year, knowing his mindset," Davis said. "His gameplan is going to be complicated, but that requires us as a team to be disciplined. Coach Grimmett has done a great job of making us disciplined.”
The new head coach leads the Warriors into a new conference, 7A-Central, the largest in the land.
“Once we got the news that we were going to 7A, everybody was ready to face the challenge and put in the work,” Davis said.
Keller said everybody coming together has helped with the transition.
"We need to finish and build a brotherhood because things may not go our way," Keller said. "You always have to pick it back up and keep your head up."
According to Grimmett, a larger conference means more physical preparation.
"7-Central is a very physical and fast conference, so we're trying to up the physicality in practice so that we're prepared for games," Grimmett said. "I think they're ready to prove what they can do."
Despite all the new, Davis said the old standards remain the same.
“Win state, nothing less," Davis said. "It’s going to take a lot of effort, blood, sweat and tears, but our guys are ready for it.”
The road to War Memorial Stadium for Little Rock Christian starts with a Week Zero trip to El Dorado on Aug. 30.