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In April 2007, Ben McEnroe (Class of ’93) became the first alumni football coach to lead the Kingsmen. One of the primary goals McEnroe set for the program was to embrace the rich history and tradition of CLC/CLU football. Alumni players are welcomed inside the locker room before every game, and Coach Shoup addresses the team before the Homecoming contest, holding an undefeated record since the establishment of this tradition. At the conclusion of the 2007 football awards banquet, Coach Shoup presented Coach McEnroe with a “new” pair of Blue Slippers that the team has embraced, and the Kingsmen have been a perennial contender for SCIAC championships and playoff births ever since.
The last decade has been the most successful in CLU’s NCAA era. During that span, the Kingsmen have won five Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) championships and made the first four NCAA playoff appearances in school history. CLU has claimed more than half of the conference championships in the past decade.
2017 brings a great deal of excitement as the Kingsmen welcome fifteen returning starters. Second-year Offensive Coordinator Anthony Lugo will have Senior Quarterback Adam Friederichsen, the 2016 Robert F. Shoup Most Valuable Player, back for his third season as starting QB. The wide receiver group is deep, fast, and talented, led by SR Aaron Lacomb and SR Wendell O’Brien on the outside. Talented Buena High School and Ventura College product Chris Beeson is looking for a breakout campaign at tailback, while returning starter Diego Hernandez continues the great tradition of tight end play at CLU.
On Defense, coordinator Scott “Woody” Beattie returns one of the most talented groups of defensive backs in recent history. Sophomore Obasi Dees was a first team all-SCIAC selection as a Freshman in 2016, while classmates Jerome Hull and Cortez Espinoza also return as starters in the secondary. Talented Idaho State transfer Lorenzo Terry brings speed and experience to that young and talented group in the defensive backfield. Senior Linebackers Nick Gordon and Acquarey Eddington will anchor the middle, while Tony Carlsen will move to outside linebacker for 2017.
The odd-year schedule rotation has the Kingsmen hosting four contests at Rolland Stadium. The season opener will feature PLU coming to Thousand Oaks on September 9th for a 7:00 pm kickoff. The SCIAC schedule includes a tough CMS team for Homecoming on October 14th (1:00 pm), a challenging road trip to Chapman on Saturday night, October 28th, and the season finale against the Bulldogs from Redlands on November 11th at 1:00 pm for Senior Day.
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