New FSM Feature: Las Vegas High School Football- Lake Mead...

Photo Credit: Lake Mead Christian Academy

New FSM Feature: Las Vegas High School Football – Lake Mead Christian Academy is on the Rise

Building a High School Football program from the ground up is challenging, but considering a team with only 27 players out of the 50 that are usually on a team, no coach is prepared for it.

A school that has not won any championships for basketball or football, while baseball seems to be the one that has been able to compete at a higher level thus far. Former UNLV football player Nathaniel Oishi, head football coach of the Eagles, is trying to put this program and school on the map and has put together a staff with the experience and knowledge to make it happen.

It was a struggle at first for coach Oishi to get players to play because of the school being so small. Some of the kids who did want to play and were good went to play for a bigger school, such as Bishop Gorman or Faith Lutheran. Having a staff of former UNLV football players is helpful when it comes to getting and recruiting these players because they can relate to them as former players.

The staff includes Mike Hughes, who is the defensive coordinator/defensive line coach; Gabe McCoy, who is the linebackers coach; Ty’Jason Roberts, who is the defensive backs coach, JD Alexander, who is also the son of Del Alexander, Sid Acosta, who is the offensive line coach, and Christian Clapp who is the wide receivers coach. This is a staff full of knowledge that is willing to give their time to these kids and develop them into good football players and even better individuals off the field.

As Head Coach Oishi told me, “We are trying to create an atmosphere where these kids feel comfortable, and we try and do whatever we can to make that happen, we treat them like little brothers, give them rides to and from practice, and overall we have a special bond that allows for us to have memories with them.”

No matter what level you are at, culture means everything, especially when creating one that was not there before. Particularly when it comes to recruiting middle school kids and trying to bring them into the fold and allowing them to see and get a feel for what it would be like to play for a coaching staff that is committed to not only making them better players on the field but teaching them other life aspects that will allow for them to grow into a better man later on in life.

Competing with the other high schools for top-level players is hard enough because of the threat that is always looming during the process of trying to get players to join them, and that is Bishop Gorman. This past year, they lost a talented 8th-grade quarterback who was on the rise take his talents over to Bishop Gorman high school. A 6’4 receiver who also decided to go to Gorman instead of staying with the Eagles.

Although Bishop Gorman might have more to offer when it comes to athletics, head coach Oishi is trying to change the outlook on these younger athletes by looking at Bishop Gorman as a launching pad for their success in the future.

Gorman might offer the opportunity of winning championships every year, but playing time is not guaranteed as coach Oishi told me, “These kids have to understand that yeah, they are going to Gorman but are they going to play right away or sit for a couple of years? And that is the difference between our two schools and how we can offer that playing time and experience to get the film these kids need for the colleges to see them playing and getting the experience they need for the next level.”

Coach Oishi has gone through the trials and tribulations as a young player and the mental toll that weighs on these young athletes, whether it is the pressure of getting playing time, doing well in the classroom, and all the other distractions that come along with being a student-athlete.

During his playing time, he had an interesting take on what he did with his social media and how it helped him become a better player and a person overall. “I even had to delete my social media when I was playing because I had to see myself for who I was and make some changes to better myself.” Social Media plays a significant role in student-athletes lives nowadays, which can create a distraction that can derail what they are trying to accomplish, and for Coach Oishi, it helped him find who he really was.

Coach Oishi plans to take his team to the next level, which is competing for and winning championships soon, and he believes that is possible given the state of where the team is at this point. After starting with only 27 players this past year, there are expected to be 35-40 players next year, which would be a school record for roster size.

As Coach Oishi told me, “In 5 years, I see us having 50 kids on varsity with a JV team competing for a 2A championship every year. I hope to grow this program and move up a division to be a good 3A football school in 4-6 years. Last year was our first season, and out of 27 players, we had about 20 first- and second-year students who were the studs of our team. We have a great group of 8^th graders coming up and only lost three seniors. We are going to grow fast.”

The Eagles are on the rise, and Lake Mead Christian Academy is going to be a school that finds itself on the map for a lot of student-athletes who are looking to come to a school that offers not only the education aspect but also the athletic aspect that has the football team on the rise.

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-Nick Sylvester – Franchise Sports Media

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