Soquel High head coach and former NFL Safety

September 19, 2025

39 3 minutes read

Soquel High School’s head football coach Dwight Lowery has been awarded the Golden Whistle Award for his exceptional contributions to the football program and his players’ lives.”Every year we give out a Golden Whistle Award, and you have exemplified what this award is all about, so on behalf of KSBW, we want to award you the Golden Whistle Award,” said sports reporter Jake Flores. Lowery, a former NFL safety and Soquel High alum returned to the Knights in 2018 to revitalize a struggling football program.”When I first got here, we weren’t that good of a program but recently we’ve been taking off because of Dwight, he’s been really transforming it,” said Ben Palma, a Soquel High football player. “My brother was actually playing here when he first got here and I was able to see the whole thing get built, brick by brick,” said Deion Williams, another Soquel High football player. “One thing about coach, he’s more than a coach, he’s like a father figure to a lot of the players.”Lowery’s impact extends beyond the field. In the 2024-2025 season, he led Soquel to a Gabilan Division title, ending Salinas High’s six-year dominance. The previous season, he guided the Knights to their first state title, making them the first football team in Santa Cruz County to achieve this feat.”My biggest thing really was just to give them some sort of foundation that they can build confidence upon,” said Lowery. “And just using things that I wish I would have heard when I was in high school, to help try to facilitate the learning and get them interested and motivated to do whatever they need to do.”Lowery’s journey from NFL pro to award-winning coach has been unexpected but fulfilling.”If you would have told me, you know, ten years ago or what not that I would be doing this or that all of this would happen, I would be pretty confused,” said Lowery. “The families of the players have backed me up in every way imaginable to help support me and I’m getting continuous support – even more interest and support from the community and parents and it’s only going to grow from here I believe and as long as we have that, I’ll be here.”See more coverage of top Central Coast stories | Download our app / Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

SOQUEL, Calif. —

Soquel High School’s head football coach Dwight Lowery has been awarded the Golden Whistle Award for his exceptional contributions to the football program and his players’ lives.

“Every year we give out a Golden Whistle Award, and you have exemplified what this award is all about, so on behalf of KSBW, we want to award you the Golden Whistle Award,” said sports reporter Jake Flores.

Lowery, a former NFL safety and Soquel High alum returned to the Knights in 2018 to revitalize a struggling football program.

“When I first got here, we weren’t that good of a program but recently we’ve been taking off because of Dwight, he’s been really transforming it,” said Ben Palma, a Soquel High football player.

“My brother was actually playing here when he first got here and I was able to see the whole thing get built, brick by brick,” said Deion Williams, another Soquel High football player. “One thing about coach, he’s more than a coach, he’s like a father figure to a lot of the players.”

Lowery’s impact extends beyond the field. In the 2024-2025 season, he led Soquel to a Gabilan Division title, ending Salinas High’s six-year dominance.

The previous season, he guided the Knights to their first state title, making them the first football team in Santa Cruz County to achieve this feat.

“My biggest thing really was just to give them some sort of foundation that they can build confidence upon,” said Lowery. “And just using things that I wish I would have heard when I was in high school, to help try to facilitate the learning and get them interested and motivated to do whatever they need to do.”

Lowery’s journey from NFL pro to award-winning coach has been unexpected but fulfilling.

“If you would have told me, you know, ten years ago or what not that I would be doing this or that all of this would happen, I would be pretty confused,” said Lowery. “The families of the players have backed me up in every way imaginable to help support me and I’m getting continuous support – even more interest and support from the community and parents and it’s only going to grow from here I believe and as long as we have that, I’ll be here.”

See more coverage of top Central Coast stories | Download our app / Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel