ELK GROVE, CA - T.J. Ewing, who coached his Monterey Trail Mustangs to the Sac - Joaquin Division I Section Championship game the past two seasons, has been named the 2010 News10 High School Football Coach of the Year.

Ewing's Mustangs were resilient as the roster dwindled to only 25 players, most of whom won't be mistaken for blue-chip talent. Despite being relatively small in numbers, as well as talent, the Mustangs reached the second straight Division I Section Championship, falling last season to Nevada Union and losing this season to a sizable Pleasant Grove team.

The Mustangs ended up 10-4 on the season, and entered the playoffs as a 10th seed, only to win on the road and upset the likes of Modesto (8-2), Napa (10-1), and Granite Bay (8-3), all who seeded higher than Monterey Trail.

The Mustangs gave the Grant Pacers, undefeated until the Division II Section Championship loss to Folsom, the toughest opposition they had faced in the regular season. The Mustangs fell to the Pacers 28-22 in the deciding minute of play.

Monterey Trail's success in the regular season came against formidable competition including Fairfield, Nevada Union, and Franklin (Elk Grove), a team that was undefeated heading into that week.

"It's about working smart," said Ewing. "There's no hesitation or question on what you're doing and it's a proven product."

The Mustangs punished their opposition throughout the season with strong will and physical play, a style in which coaches of the opposition, like Granite Bay's Ernie Cooper became "nervous" to face. Cooper admitted to News10 prior to the Division I semifinal game against Ewing's Mustangs that they would be the toughest opponent they would face all year and they were nervous because they would hit them in the mouth on every play.

"I'm honored and humbled to be with a student athlete who believes," Ewing said, when asked how he gets his kids to buy into his system. "Seeing them believe what they've been taught and apply what they've learned is very inspiring."

Even though Ewing has been named the News10 Coach of the Year, he was quick to credit others. "When I think of Coach of the Year, I think our administration support, all of our staff, our Physical Education staff," Ewing said from the Mustangs weight training room. "All of the times that I get pulled around, they are helping us to make the student athlete better."

Ewing's teachings and his preparations has area coaches taking notes...literally. Ernie Cooper took nine pages of notes when Ewing spoke at a coach's clinic in the off season at Sacramento State.

"It's more than football," Ewing said. "All these coaches, that are coaching and teaching, they care about these kids. It's all about building young men up." It is more than football.

The success he's had on his student athletes on the field and off, and the impact he's made at Monterey Trail, which includes building a community youth football program, is why T.J. Ewing has been named the News10 High School Football Coach of the Year.