Hart Hawks Soar into New Season with New Leadership
By Tim Haddock and Sage Rafferty
Hart High School football is embarking on a new era with a new coach, Jake Goossen-Brown, and a revamped mascot, the Hawks. The article delves into the team's preparations for the upcoming season, including player interviews and insights from the new coach, as well as a brief overview of the rival Castaic High School football program.
Hart Football: New Coach, New Mascot, New Era
August 18, 2024 - The Hart football team has a new coach and a new mascot as it heads into the 20-24 season.
Jake Goossen-Brown takes over as head coach of the football team. It is the first time in nearly 40 years that a Herrington isn’t coaching the Hart football team.
Goossen-Brown has some huge shoes to fill. The Herringtons won nine CIF Southern Section titles and were almost always in the mix for Foothill League championships when they were in charge of the team.
In addition, the Hart football team is the Hawks for the first time. The mascot change starts this year with the old Indians mascot heading to retirement.
Hart is coming off a successful season. The team finished in third place in the Foothill League and made the CIF Southern Section playoffs. But the team lost to Crean Lutheran 37 to 21 in the first round of the Division 6 playoffs.
Hart was 7 and 4 in 20-23 and was 4 and 2 in the Foothill League.
Hart has one of the best wide receivers in the Foothill League, Parker Maxwell. He talked to Tim Haddock (co-host of Santa Clarita Weekly) about what is working on during the summer.
“We’ve grown so much as a team,” he said. “Having a new coach, we’ve had to learn a whole new offense, a whole new defense. We’ve built such a bond between the team.”
Tim asked Maxwell what his goals for the team were, to which he responded, “Make it far in the playoffs, win, and just have as much fun as possible.”
The offense is led by quarterback Jacob Paisano. He is only a junior and is expected to be around for a while.
“During the summer I think I improved a lot,” Paisano told Santa Clarita Weekly. “I had to learn the offense a lot. I think I’ve done a lot better on offense and just understanding everything better.”
Jacob Paisano feels the team is really coming together.
“I think I’ve built a lot of chemistry with all the players – all the receivers, all the running backs, and the linemen,” Paisano said. “And I think we’re all on the same page. And I think we all bond well together.”
Nate Mata is going to play in several spots on the football team. He is learning new positions this summer and becoming familiar with all his teammates.
“I’m working on learning new positions,” Mata told Tim Haddock. “Especially, like linebacker, running back, winning plays. And then just trying to stay healthy.”
Mata also revealed what his goals for the team. “I definitely want to get far in the playoffs,” he said.
Goossen-Brown might be new to the Foothill League, but he said he is ready for the season to start.
“What’s been great is that first day I was hired or announced – I think it was just before I met the players and everything – I had come in and met with Rick” Coach Goossen-Brown told Santa Clarita Weekly. “And we met for about 4 hours… I got to pick his brain about what he’s done or what he’s been successful doing, or what’s Hart football about. What are the important things and the traditions that we want to uphold and keep that standard of great Hart football.”
Coach Goossen-Brown is teaching his team the fundamentals and expressed the need for his players to be consistent in executing those fundamentals.
“I just want to go out there and compete our butts off,” Coach Goossen-Brown said. “I talk to them about competition, being technical, and executing. And whoever executes consistently is going to be able to win the game. So I preach more about execution, being disciplined, and being technical. And the wins will happen. If we go out there and do what we’re supposed to do, I think anything can happen on any given Friday.”
Castaic makes strides in football program
The Castaic High football team is still fairly new to the Foothill League. The football program is in its fourth year and its third in the Foothill League.
The team finished the 20-23 season with a winning record but lost its last two games and was out of the CIF Southern Section playoffs.
One of those late season losses came against Hart, which put Hart in third place and with an automatic playoff spot.
Castaic was 6 and 4 overall and 3 and 3 in the Foothill League in 20-23. With two years of Foothill League experience under its belt, the Castaic football team will be looking to take another step, perhaps even playing its first CIF Southern Section playoff game.
The Castaic High School Football program did not respond to Santa Clarita Weekly’s request for an interview.
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