Montgomery Catholic football aims to keep championship standards
Montgomery Catholic football begin it quest for a third consecutive state championship this season, but the Knights will do so with new faces in key positions.
After winning back-to-back state titles, they face significant changes. Former head coach Kirk Johnson and standout quarterback Kingston Preyear departed for Benjamin Russell High School.
Junior C.J. Sankey will step into the quarterback role, while former Pike Road offensive coordinator Jonathan Chandler takes over as head coach.
Despite the personnel changes, team leaders say the program’s championship culture remains intact.
“He brings the energy. He’s a funny guy. People don’t know that, but he’s a funny guy,” Kenneth Bell, a senior linebacker and H-back, said about Chandler. “He wants us to keep the standard the same and just be great.”
Senior lineman and linebacker Cayden Dees echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the continuity in the program’s approach.
“To be honest, it really doesn’t feel different,” Dees said. “Our new coach, he’s come in, brought a coaching staff, all the same heart, the same mindset, to want to be better, to want to be the best. So I really feel like I’m still at home.”
Chandler acknowledged the pressure that comes with following a successful program but said the team’s winning mentality has made his transition smoother.
“There’s a high standard, big shoes to fill there, but they understand,” Chandler said. “I think that’s what made it so comfortable for me to step into being the head coach there at Montgomery Catholic. The guys are eager to win. Even though they’ve won in the past, they also understand what it takes.”
The new Montgomery Catholic football coach praised his senior leadership group for maintaining accountability within the team.
“Very easy transition,” Chandler said. “Certain times as a head coach, you want to immediately address some things, hold some people accountable, and it’s already coming out of the mouth from our senior leaders.”
