High School Football Preview: Paramount Pirates

Discipline, or lack there of, is the theme for Paramount High football this season.

“I’m tired of being more talented on paper and then losing to a more disciplined team,” Paramount seventh-year head coach Matt Howard said. “We have to do things right all the time. In practice, in school. Everything.”

Howard sent a message to his team last week in a scrimmage against Leuzinger High when he held out nine starters because they missed practice.

“You have to do that if you want any continuity,” Howard said of the punishment. “We’ve fallen off with (dicipline) in recent years, and then we went 5-6 last year, so it’s obviously not giving us a great advantage.”

In an effort to bolster his coaching ranks with more experience, Howard has brought in Thomas Barnes to be the offensive coordinator. Barnes, who played with Howard at Long Beach City College, coached at Long Beach Jordan and Millikan recently before going to L.A. Jordan last year, where it reached a CIF City Section championship game.

“It’s about consistency,” Barnes said of reestablishing discipline. “You have to stay on (the players) and hold them accountable. They’re good kids and they want that guidance. We have to give it to them.”

Howard added that this team is closer than his recent Pirate squads.

“Last year, we had some transfers and the team had cliques,” Howard said. “This year, (the players) are more receptive to leadership from their peers. Ultimately, you want good leaders and a team that can police itself.”

Filling those leadership roles this season are returning junior quarterback Cedric Hood, senior ruing back Al Gene Fisher III and junior lineman EJ Ahching, who had 87 tackles and eight tackles for loss last season.

“We’re competing hard in practice,” said Ahching, who who is a three-year starter and All-San Gabriel Valley League player. “But we’re not beating each other up. We’re making sure we’re keeping our heads up, encouraging each other, and getting better.”

Junior defensive back Tyrese Gibson is also an impact returner on defense after making 100 tackles in 2015. On offense, Fisher is an unorthodox ruer, according to Howard, and has a knack for picking up short yardage. He averaged 6.3 yards on only 40 carries last season.

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“He a jitterbug who just always falls forward,” Howard said. “And he’s a great leader.”

“If (coach Howard or Barnes) told me to jump off a roof and that I’d be OK, I’d do it,” Fisher said. “Last year, we were banking on the big plays. Now it’s about doing the little things right.”

Howard and Barnes both said Hood has gotten a lot stronger and durable in the offseason, but Barnes is still taking it slow with implementing the offense that will allow Hood to read things out of a pistol set, and move around the pocket.

“We’re really excited about our junior class,” Howard said. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t be dangerous this year.”

Paramount opens it season Sept. 2 against Buena Park.