By Matt Lechuga
Signal Staff Writer

Last Friday the Saugus football team took a trip to the Naval Special Warfare Training Center in Coronado where Navy SEALs go for Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training.

This was the third year the Centurions made the trip to Coronado and head coach Jason Bornn likes how the SEALs pushes his players to their limits and brings them together.

“It’s challenging and uncomfortable but it brings the guys together,” he said. “You see who your leaders are. You see which guys are vocal and which guys aren’t.”0731_sports_Saugus

Bornn, who is a former Marine, got the idea from hearing about other teams doing similar workouts, and after researching for a while, found that the Navy offered the opportunity he was looking for.

“It didn’t cost anything other than transportation and it’s a good recruiting tool for the Navy,” said Bornn.

The BUD/S training program that SEALs go through has three phases.

The first consists of eight weeks of basic training with a “hell week” at the midway point. The five-and-a-half day stretch is designed to test trainees’ limits by putting them in situations where they are physically and mentally exhausted as well as sleep deprived.

The Saugus football team wasn’t pushed that hard but that’s not to say they didn’t get a good workout.

The team did basic calisthenics and then got into some of the more intense workouts which included prone crawling through the water at the beach and carrying large, telephone poll-like logs as a team across the sand.

“It’s great for the team,” said Bornn. “They build bonds with each other and once you get on the base, it’s something very few people are able to see.”

It may have only been a day of training but it’s something the players are sure to remember for a long time.

Knights advancing

Trinity Classical Academy’s head football coach Les Robinson has made no secrets about his desire to transition the Knights from 8-man to 11-man football.

On July 16 and 19 the Knights took one of their first steps toward that goal by competing in the school’s first ever 7-on-7 games against Chatsworth Charter High and Viewpoint High respectively.

“My ultimate goal is to move Trinity to 11-man football just like I did with SCCS,” said Robinson. “We wanted to show the administration and the parents that we are capable of making that jump. We have the talent, now it’s just about getting the numbers.”

Freshman Caden Kulp, little brother of CIF 8-man Division II Defensive Player of the Year Patch Kulp, scored nine times in the two games as well as had three interceptions.

Another freshman, Ryan DeMarios, scored six times.

“We’re going to be young but I’m excited about the future for us,” said Robinson. “Hopefully we can do some special things this year.”