The football team competed against the Juan Diego Soaring Eagles on Friday, August 30. In anticipation of this rivalry game, we conducted interviews with several key figures from the Judge program, including new head coach Mr. Jeff Kaufusi and team captains Malakhy Smith, King Long, and Aiden Greenwood. This matchup was not only significant for both the Judge and Juan Diego communities but also marked their first home game of the season.
Coach Kaufusi shared insights into his background, both personally and professionally. A former defensive lineman who played for Coach Ron McBride at the University of Utah, Kaufusi holds degrees in criminology and the arts. He was raised in a family of eight, all of whom pursued collegiate athletics in football or volleyball, Kafusi expressed enthusiasm for his first major rivalry game against what he referred to as “the team down south.” He emphasized the collective effort of both the team and coaching staff in preparing for the game.
Reflecting on his goals for the season, Kaufusi remarked, “Judge has a history, a long history of a big powerhouse back in the day, and we want to bring that back.”
We also had the opportunity to interview three of the five captains for the 2024 season: Malakhy Smith (Sr), Aiden Greenwood (Sr), and King Long (Jr). This year marks the first time Judge has faced Juan Diego in football since 2019. The captains shared their perspectives on the upcoming game, team dynamics, and their goals for the season. All three expressed excitement, with Aiden talking about his personal challenge of facing his former team but stating, “There are no friends on the field so I just need to go out and play ball.”
They collectively agreed on the importance of keeping a solid mentality throughout the game and keeping their teammates focused until the final horn. The new team motto, “Change the Degree,” introduced by the coaching staff, stands for the commitment to improve by 1% every day.
“This year everyone who plays football wants to be there”, Malakhy said, which is a big part of the new team culture and goal of improving on last year’s 3-8 record.
