James Young-Lewis isn’t looking at his return to Prairie as a temporary, interim stop.
The Falcons’ new head football coach is back at the school for his second stint, bringing with him an ambitious vision for a program he hopes to establish as a consistent league title contender.
Young-Lewis previously coached at Prairie from 2018 to 2021 before leaving for Union High School. He returned in 2024 with previous head coach Junior Miller with the goal of helping rebuild the program.
Now in charge, Young-Lewis said he is enjoying the opportunity.
“I’m loving it. I’m living it, like where my feet are and just trying to take it day by day and make it the best day ever with these guys,” Young-Lewis said.
The Falcons will have plenty to prove after losing key starters to graduation, including a league MVP at quarterback.
Prairie currently has a two-man competition at quarterback between Jace Bellcoff and Brennen Lumby. Young-Lewis said both have embraced the opportunity and, perhaps more importantly, have supported each other throughout the competition.
Other players are stepping into larger roles and emerging as key leaders, too, Young-Lewis added.
Young-Lewis said developing a player-led team is central to Prairie’s approach.
“When it’s a player-led team, they have that better success because it’s peers buying into each other and not just buying into what coaches say,” he said.
The Falcons also have high expectations for a schedule that includes playoff-caliber competition. Young-Lewis said Prairie wants to eventually become a top-10 program and needs to challenge itself against strong opponents to reach that level.
Within the league, Young-Lewis believes Prairie can contend near the top, but consistency will be critical.
“Staying consistent. Not worrying about who it is we’re going against, but knowing that we’ve got to put our best foot forward every week,” he said.
For Young-Lewis, the bigger goal extends beyond wins.
“I’m not here to rent this thing. I’m here to buy it,” he said.
Head coach: James Young-Lewis
Classification: 3A
League: GSHL
2025 season stats:
Regular season: 6-3
League record: 3-2
