The Freeport High School football team takes the field this season with championship dreams. And for the first time in 38 years, the Red Devils will chase those dreams with a new head coach.

Former captain and longtime assistant coach Jimmy Jones was promoted to head coach in March, after spending 21 years coaching at all levels of the program.

"It was the most surreal and terrifying moment of my life because at that point I knew every decision went through me," said Jones before a recent practice. "There have been more sleepless nights and 4 a.m. wakeups with things I have type in my phone, because if I fall back to sleep, I'll forget it."

Jones replaces longtime Freeport head coach Russ Cellan, who retired from teaching and coaching. Cellan was one of the most success coaches in Long Island history, with more than 250 wins, nine Nassau County titles and seven Long Island championships. Jones spent 17 years as his assistant coach.

"I can look and say, OK, these are the things I see differently than Russ. But I'm also smart enough to know why get away from things that work," said Jones when asked if his approach to leading the Devils would be different than Cellan's.

Jones said he was like the "big brother/uncle type" to the players while Cellan was more of the strict father. Now, Jones said he's learning he has to be sterner and that there is a "large amount of stuff that now starts and ends with me."

His players said they were glad district leaders promoted Jones instead of bringing in a new head coach from outside the district.

"It means everything. We need a coach who gets it to win games," said senior lineman Curtis Ealy.

"He's for the players and takes our ideas in. He just builds us into better players for the world," said senior safety Jayden Gordon.

"This program is family and that's what it means to me," said Jones.

Now, the family that plays together hopes to win championships together, too.