High school football: New coach prepares for long-term success at Prairie High School

James Young-Lewis is the new head coach for Prairie High School football. Photo courtesy Paul Valencia

🎧 Prairie Football’s New Era: Coach YL Is Here to Stay

James Young-Lewis has taken over as the head coach at Prairie High School, and while he has been leading the Falcons since May, Wednesday was the first official day of high school football practice as teams all over the state get ready for the 2026 season

Paul Valencia
Clark County Today

The first official day of football practice is special for players, coaches, and fans.

Some first days are more special than others.

James Young-Lewis, who also goes by “YL” on the field, has been working toward this day for more than a decade.

That would be James Young-Lewis, the new head coach for Prairie High School.

He took over in May, when the former coach resigned. That meant for a late transition to a new role, but Young-Lewis told the Prairie parents and his players that he expects to be here for a long time.

“I’m not looking at this as a rental property. I’m ready to buy,” Young-Lewis said.

Young-Lewis is Clark County all the way. He is a former high school standout himself, first at Hudson’s Bay and then Evergreen, where he graduated from in 2009. He has worked as an assistant football coach with several programs since 2015.

It was in 2016 when realized that one day he wanted to lead his own program. He has been focused on that goal since then.

“I have always been ready to have this opportunity,” he said.

He became the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Prairie in 2024. He said he approached each day as if he was the head coach, just to prepare himself. He had no idea when it would happen, but he always believed it would happen.

Daniel Carbajal-Vargas, left, and Alvaro Sanchez, two senior leaders with the Prairie Falcons, are excited for the next era of Prairie football with their new head coach. Photo courtesy Paul Valencia

“I always felt that, when I got the call, I’d be ready to go,” he said.

That call came in May, and Young-Lewis went right to work, organizing spring drills and summer workouts.

On Wednesday, it officially became football practice.

“It fuels me to be back on the field and doing something I love to do,” he said. “It’s always brought me peace.”

The Prairie players are ready to go, as well.

“It’s a new beginning. It’s basically a rebuild, but it’s not really a rebuild because we’re still going to be good,” said senior Daniel Carbajal-Vargas, a cornerback and wide receiver. “We’re all pumped to be part of this program. I’m excited about what we have to prove this season.”

“I’m looking forward to Day 4 (of practice) when we put the full pads on for full contact,” added senior Alvaro Sanchez, a center and defensive lineman. “I’m just ready.”

They also appreciate their new head coach.

Sanchez said they have all been on the “journey” with Young-Lewis since these seniors were sophomores. The transition was made smoother for Prairie football because Young-Lewis was already such a major part of the program.

“He’s our guy,” Sanchez said.

“He’s always been a big leader, a big influence on us,” Carbajal-Vargas added. “He’s always been there for us. He’s more than a coach for us. He’s a big mentor to all of us.”

The new coach and the players all expect to win, but they also understand that it is a process to become a prominent program. There are also wins beyond the scoreboard.

“I want these kids to be proud of what it is that they are putting in within the game and within the community and our program,” Young-Lewis said.

Football-wise, the coach wants the program to become recognized throughout the state.

“When people look at Prairie, they say, ‘Where is that?’ I want people to know who we are and we are about business,” the coach said.

Becoming a top-10 team will not happen overnight, Young-Lewis cautioned.

“We talk about owning the process. It is a process,” he said. “To do a comparison, it’s not instant oatmeal. It’s grits. It’s going to take time.”

James Young-Lewis has been working, waiting for his time for this opportunity.

Note: The Prairie Falcons also are dealing with tragic news this week. On this, the first day of practice. Clark County Today is unable to share more at this time because team and school officials wanted to keep details private but their prayers are going out to the Prairie community.