Elsie Allen football team ready to open season Saturday at St. Vincent

Elsie Allen’s new football coach Dallas Packard first introduced himself to his team via text message. That might be unusual for an older, seasoned coach. But for Packard, only six years out of high school himself, it’s natural.

As a young, energetic, first-time head coach, he feels like he can relate better to his young charges and help bring the Lobos football program some success.

With nearly 40 athletes on the roster now, Packard has them ready to start the season Saturday.

That is two weeks later than originally planned but a month earlier than his athletic director predicted - and with more than four times the number of kids who came to the first practice.

On Saturday, Elsie will travel to Petaluma to take on St. Vincent in a 2 p.m. nonleague game. Initially expected to start play on Sept. 28 and miss the whole nonleague season, the Lobos will have missed only two games with their late start.

Packard became the coach this summer after another hire left unexpectedly without ever having coached the team. School administrators considered scratching the entire season or having only a junior varsity team.

But they hired Packard, an assistant coach at his alma mater El Molino and brother of an Elsie teacher. Packard was eager for the challenge.

Packard becomes the 10th Elsie coach since November 2014, including two who never actually coached a game.

“I texted (the players) and said ‘I’m ready to go if you guys are.’ We took off from there and haven’t looked back,” he said. “They were very excited, very ready to go and ready to get on the field.”

He has his work cut out for him. The Lobos’ one victory last year, 26-9 against St. Vincent, was the program’s first win since November 2013.

After only eight kids showed up for the first practice, Packard said he encouraged his small squad to recruit other athletes at school. It worked.

“Now I’m looking at almost 40 kids,” he said.

“We’re a young team, that’s for sure,” he said. “But we have a lot of heart and we are very hungry to get out and play and win some games. The age doesn’t matter, it’s their heart. They give 150 percent every day. They want to win more than me.”

Packard was born in Graton and graduated from El Molino in 2012, playing tight end, receiver and defensive end for the Lions. He made The Press Democrat’s All-Empire honorable mention teams in baseball and football.

He went on to play college ball at Texas College in Tyler, Texas, and became an assistant coach at John Tyler High School in Tyler while going to school.

After Saturday’s game, the Lobos have two other nonleague contests - at home against McKinleyville and on the road at Vacaville Christian - before beginning North Bay League-Redwood Division play against visiting Montgomery on Sept. 28.

“I’m trying to turn this program around,” he said, “and I think I’ve got the kids and the right staff to do it.”

You can reach Staff Writer Lori A. Carter at 707-521-5470 or lori.carter@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @loriacarter.