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Tackle Pat Teixeira has heard all of it.

"Your coach is too young."

"Your quarterback can't see over his offensive line."

Worst of all: "It's Walter Johnson."

And as the leader of a 17-member senior class that is hell-bent on changing the Wildcats' culture of losing, he's stopped listening or caring.

"Nobody has really respected us for a while now," said Teixeira, who helped Walter Johnson to its first on-field win in four years last season. "That's what we've demanded. We're trying to make our say within the county."

Teixeira (5-foot-11, 285 pounds) and his teammates know all too well that respect comes with wins. But despite some perceived obstacles — first-year coach Jon Kadi has just one year of high school assistant experience, and junior quarterback Cole Ahnell is just 5-6 — the Wildcats sense a new beginning.

"I feel like these kids were, talent-wise and effort-wise, better than a 1-9 football team last year," said Kadi, a varsity assistant and JV offensive coordinator in 2008. "I know getting that win was a big step. But we've talked about it, and said we've got to keep building and moving forward, and the success we had last year, we've got to keep building and raising the bar."

A solid group of skill players should help.

Senior running back Michael Pitsenberger (6-0, 190) averaged nearly 7 yards per carry last year en route to 680 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. Ahnell threw for 217 yards and three scores in his varsity debut last season, a 38-27 season-finale loss to Northwest.

"He's been a leader in the weight room, a leader all season," Kadi said of his signal-caller, who was voted a team captain in camp. "He's picked up the offense right away. He's really just hit the ground running. The guys trust him, and the guys love him."

Junior Ryan Davis (5-9, 150) will get more looks at wide receiver after averaging more than 10 yards on punt returns and taking a kickoff back for a touchdown last year.

And while Teixeira is by far the biggest body on a roster with only four 200-plus pounders, a tweaked spread offense that Kadi says will offer more balance means scheme is as important as strength.

"It's definitely going to be a step up from last year," Pitsenberger said. "Last year we only had one style."

Walter Johnson will operate out of the 4-3 on defense, with Pitsenberger and Davis at safety, and most players expected to play on both sides of the ball. That might explain why seniors say Kadi's conditioning regimen has been more grueling than departed coach Tom Mulholland's.

At a program without a single state playoff berth in its history, and where the most noticeable sign of progress is a sparkling, reconstructed stadium, maybe anything different is good.

"There's a lot of people that have doubts about him," Teixeira said of Kadi. "But I believe in him. It isn't how many years of coaching experience you've had, or where you've been and what you've done. It's what your work ethic is that really matters."

Walter Johnson

Head coach: Jon Kadi, 1st year

League: Montgomery 4A West

Last year's record: 1-9

Last playoff appearance: none

Last state title: none

Players to watch: RB/FS Michael Pitsenberger, QB Cole Ahnell, WR/SS Ryan Davis, OT/DT Pat Teixeira

2008 schedule

Sept. 5 — Clarksburg (L), 12-7

Sept. 12 — Wootton (L), 35-13

Sept. 20 — Churchill (L), 39-19

Sept. 26 — Blake (L), 19-6

Oct. 3 — Whitman (L), 14-6

Oct. 10 — Richard Montgomery (L), 38-30

Oct. 17 —Poolesville (W), 40-15

Oct. 24 — Quince Orchard (L), 42-6

Oct. 31 — Northwood (L), 28-23

Nov. 7 — Northwest (L), 38-27

2009 schedule

Sept. 4 — Rockville, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 11 — Whitman, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 17 — at Churchill, 6:30 p.m.

Sept. 25 — at Gaithersburg, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 2 — Poolesville, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 9 — at B-CC, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 16 — Northwest, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 23 — Blair, 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 30 — at Wootton, 6:30 p.m.

Nov. 6 — at Richard Montgomery, 6:30 p.m.