Now is the time.

This is what Decatur’s senior football players believe about the upcoming season. They believe it so much so, that they made it the team motto.

“A team motto binds the team together,” senior lineman Jerimiyah Viena said. “It’s something we can keep close and grasp on to. It’s a goal that we keep for ourselves.”

The Golden Gators finished last year with a 1-9 record. It’s been a tough stretch for the seniors who have only won four games over the past three seasons at Decatur. Only one of those wins – a one-point victory over Auburn Mountainview in 2012 – was a league game.

Team captains Viena, Donya’e Turner, Christian Siva, Denny Toso and Marcello Berganza are fed up with losing and have taken the lead on changing the attitudes surrounding Decatur football.

“We’ve been together since freshman year,” Berganza said. “Every year it’s been the same story with Decatur. It’s always ‘Decatur sucks at football. Decatur never wins.’ We’re tired of that. This is our fourth year and we don’t want to go out with a losing season. We want to end that tradition and start a new one.”

“In the past years, leadership was absent,” Viena said. “The team was divided, the chemistry was low, there were no bonds amongst the team. This year there is a sense of leadership. In the past years, the leaders messed around and didn’t take things serious enough. I’m pretty sure this year we’ve made a difference.”

A common theme among the answers from the seniors was that the chemistry is better. They get along more. They are playing for each other and helping each other out more on the field.

They have also seen the younger players be more responsive to the seniors. When they have questions, they will come forward with their questions now. As leaders of their position groups, this group of seniors has also been willing to help.

For Toso, being a leader was a big change considering his reserved personality, but he has welcomed the challenge.

“I’m really quiet,” Toso said. “I don’t really talk that much. I just liked to get to the point and play football. Being a captain this year has helped me open up to my teammates and help them out when they need it.”

Despite losing some talented all-league players to graduation, the seniors echo their head coach, Levi Suiaunoa, in believing that this year’s team is more talented than last year.

“I feel like we’re more talented because we all play together,” said Turner. “Last year we had talented players, but everybody didn’t click together. Some of us stood out, but not the team. A team can accomplish more than individuals.”

“We click with each other better,” Berganza said. “We get on each other, but we still end up finding a way to play for each other. Our chemistry has gotten much better this year.”

Last year the offense was prolific, but the defense was porous. They lost multiple games in which they held a late lead because the defense was unable to manage one final stop.

They finished the year with the worst defense in the South Puget Sound League, giving up 49.7 points per game.

That defense was young and inexperienced. They believe the experience they gained will be a big difference this year as they try to balance both sides of the ball.

“Last year, our defense was all young guys,” Turner said. “Only one guy left from our defense. We’ve put in so much work this year that we can equal our offense.”

“Last year, we weren’t as focused as we are now,” Viena said. “This year we understand the concepts and the fundamentals. We’re also trusting in each other. That’s a big part for the defense.”

The goal for the seniors is to earn a playoff berth. They have seen the success of the other sports programs at the school, such as baseball and wrestling, and hope to join their ranks with a successful year.

Decatur is entering its second season as a member of the 4A South Puget Sound League Northwest after a four-year stay in the South Puget Sound League 3A conference. Mount Rainier and intracity rivals Thomas Jefferson, Todd Beamer and Federal Way will stand in the way of their goal.

“This team hasn’t been to the playoffs,” Viena said. “We’re trying to do something different and bring the football program up so Decatur can be known for that. [Baseball and wrestling] have a sense of unity. When we look at that, it influences us to come together. One team, one heart, that can win you a game. But if we play divided, we’ll lose like last year.”

In order to earn one of five playoff berths from the league’s North division, they will need to first finish in the top three teams of their division. First and second place will earn an automatic spot, while third place from the Northwest division will play a crossover game in week nine against the third place from the Northeast division for the final spot.

“Hopefully this first game, we come out strong and get the win,” Siva said. “We want everyone to know our football team is good too. This year we’re playing with a chip on our shoulder. So just to let everybody know, we’re coming for them.”

The Gators open the season on the road at Art Crate Field at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4 against the Spanaway Lake Sentinels. The Sentinels won last year’s matchup in a 56-42 shootout.