QB Ron Ayala-Class of '67

By Tim Steuts

It was Coach Ford's job to produce a winning football team at Lakewood four years ago. This was to be no easy task since the previous year the Lancers had lost every one of their games.

He had his own theories on how to make a winner and at worse they were strokes of genius, for the past four years his records progressively have been 3-5-1, 6-3-0, 8-1-0, and 11-1-0.

Winning has become a habit with Coach Ford. When he first came to Lakewood, Ford said, "We decided three things: "They, opponents had equal personnel and coaching and we had to work'em and we had to win."

Hard work, however, is not the only essential ingredient for winning nor is it the most important. Coach Ford believes that "confidence is the biggest thing." He went on to say confidence in one self, school, and team makes a winner.

Experience rates high in Coach Ford's book, also. "Experience is the key," he said. He explained that there is no substitute for playing to learn what to do in certain situations.

All of the factors contributed in producing one of the best teams in the state. Looking back on the season, Coach Ford seemed quite proud of his boys.