Inspired by Time’s Person of the year, the Rampage decided to take a closer look at it’s own community to find someone who fits the criteria of a Person of the Year. The Rampage considered people with deep roots in the community who have bettered students’ lives and become a figurehead in the community.

Football coach and child development teacher Jason Lomax (´97) returned to the RHS community at the beginning of the 2018-19 school year and is known to many students as the head coach who reinvented the 0-10 football team in a single season. Lomax prides himself on being a ¨Rockville man¨ and has impacted the community in ways beyond the football field.

After coaching football at Springbrook High School for three years, Lomax became the head coach of the Rams football team this past fall. The football team improved from their winless 2016-2017 season to a 4-6 record this year. Many players said they gained new perspectives on how to carry themselves outside of the game as well.

“[Lomax] taught me the importance of grades while being a student athlete,” sophomore varsity kicker Eric Giron said, “He also taught me what being a team player means.”

While not on the field, Lomax teaches child development 1 and stresses to his students the importance of family and pride in developing their characters.

“I always try and help my players and students as if they were my own children,” Lomax said.  “I’m trying to get these guys on the right track… and live a better life than I have and than their parents have. That’s what it’s all about, trying to push them into the next generation, being Rockville alum, my family being rockville alum, us always living in this community that’s all we want–because everytime another Rockville kid does good, it looks good on all of us.”

Even though Lomax’s current impact is prevalent, he said that in the future he plans to create a youth football program with elementary and middle school teams from the Rockville cluster. This way, by the time they begin freshman year, they are already a part of the Rockville football family.

Athletic director Michael Hayes hired Lomax for his athletic background and his plans to continue building the RHS community spirit.

“[He is] creating the culture. Culture includes handling grades, handling respect in the hallways, tucking your shirt in, not wearing hats helps promote the family atmosphere,” Hayes said.

Fior now football and his classes hold a lot of importance, but it’s the lasting impact Lomax intends to leave which he feels most passionate about.

“Wins and losses are awesome I always want to win, I’m a super competitive person, but at the end of the day when they put me in the ground if a bunch of people can come back and say you know what, coach helped me get on the path of doing better in my life then that’s my state championship,” Lomax said.