SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. – They say the offensive line is the engine of the offense and for JSerra Catholic in San Juan Capistrano it comes in handy that head coach Pat Harlow knows how to make all of the adjustments.

Executing the X’s and O’s on the field starts from the ground up - every step is choreographed. Harlow, who is now in his third season as the Lions Head Coach, is helping this program turn the corner in the Trinity

A Southern California product from Norco, he was a standout offensive lineman at University of Southern California before going on to a successful, 8-year NFL career with the Patriots and Raiders. His time in the trenches has earned him respect from his players that extends far beyond the field.

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“It gives me a little bit of caché when they come in and say, ‘Hey I want to do this.’ I’m like, ‘Well I know what it takes to get there. Are you willing to do what it takes to get there,’” Harlow said.

As a former player, no one knows better than Harlow that the life of a head coach can be a grind. Before taking over in his current role, he was an assistant as an offensive line coach and when he was initially approached about the job, he thought his career in football might be over.

Even though his program is on the cusp of breaking through in what is widely considered the toughest high school football conference in the country, it is the opportunity to change his players’ lives as people that has given him a second wind.

“When a kid calls you 15 years after you’ve coached him and he wants to tell you he’s getting married or he’s having his first kid and influence or how much impact you had on him and hopefully he can be a great father, those are the things that are really most valuable,” Harlow says.

As the Lions keep building their resume on the field and challenging the Bosco’s and the Mater Dei’s of the country, their hungry mentality remains the same. Commanding respect.