How ‘All American’ Is Redefining the Crenshaw & Beverly Rivalry in Season 7

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for All American Season 7 Episode 2 “Get By.”]

All American went back to high school in the Season 7 premiere, but the second episode of the new season showed how things have changed between the Crenshaw and Beverly football teams. Beverly’s new coach, Cassius (Osy Ikhile), and quarterback, KJ (Nathaniel Logan McIntyre), were in for a shock when they showed up for their first day with the Eagles squad only to learn that Beverly High had written off the former championship team.

“It was exciting to see these new characters in Cassius and KJ, who were used to operating at a very high level with these high-level teams in the Bay, now down [to LA]. It’s like, ‘Wait, we’re the underdogs?'” executive producer Nkechi Okoro Carroll teased to TV Insider. “The fact that there’s very little expectation of them does not sit well with natural competitors. It really activates them to lean into this new job, team, school, and prove everyone wrong. It’s exciting to explore Beverly from that perspective.” 

When Spencer (Daniel Ezra) joined the Beverly Eagles in Season 1, he was out to prove that he belonged on the well-maintained team and was the key to helping Billy (Taye Diggs) secure a state championship. In Season 7, Cassius and KJ have to convince the rest of the team they’re capable of stepping up to a championship level.

“They’re both coming to this team that feels like they’ve already given up. KJ and Cass coming in don’t agree with that. We believe that we can make a championship team,” Ikhile elaborated. “[Cassius] comes in hot because he’s trying to get these guys to understand that they have the potential to be great. Being the great coach that he is, he rallies them together. With KJ’s leadership, the two of them in partnership, is going to make this team better than it ever was before. They have something to prove: They can be the catalyst for this being a championship team again. There’s some personal stuff that will come out later as to why he wants to beat Billy’s legacy, but you’ll see as it unfolds this season.” 

“Back in Oakland, KJ’s team was top-notch. They had a crazy work ethic, and they were the best,” McIntyre added. “Now, coming to L.A., he’s coming in with the same type of mentality. The Beverly kids aren’t hearing that, at least the Beverly football team isn’t trying to hear that. He tries to light a fire under the Beverly kids. He and his dad are working together to get those wins.” 

While Cassius and KJ are starting over from scratch, Crenshaw is resting pretty as the defending state champions. They also have a new state-of-the-art gym courtesy of alumni Spencer James.

Related

Could Coach Baker Return to 'All American' Again? Taye Diggs Weighs In

“That was part of what we were excited to explore in this return to high school. What is Spencer’s legacy? He’s always described himself as a resource and was so focused on making his community better,” Caroll explained. “He’s achieved that goal. What does that look like? It looks like South Crenshaw being the reigning state champs and has state-of-the-art facilities and all that stuff.” 

Instead of the students having to prove themselves at Crenshaw, Jordan (Michael Evans Behling) is still trying to figure out his approach to being a young coach. We saw that struggle emerge in the premiere, but it will continue to be a journey for Jordan through the season.

“We wanted to really explore that journey with Jordan as he’s navigating his way out of young adulthood to adulthood. We saw his youth as an asset because the kids can connect with him. He understands their world because he was so recently in it. The thing he thought was an asset is what drives Coach Bobby the most crazy,” Caroll said.

That tension between Jordan and Coach Bobby (Gilbert Glenn Brown) is going to continue, and that’s going to affect how the Crenshaw players work together. It’s a top-down problem, which is the opposite of what’s going on over at Beverly. Jordan is going to have to learn to rise above without losing himself.

“As the episodes go on, it starts to take a very personal turn in terms of how Coach Bobby is responding to Jordan and pushing back on Jordan, no matter how much Jordan is starting to prove himself. That starts to make Jordan believe that there is something bigger at play that is about Jordan personally and not just because he’s a young coach. That will take us on an interesting journey as Jordan and Coach Bobby find the true issue in their dynamic and also how they overcome it,” Caroll detailed. “At the end of the day, the most important thing to them is winning a state championship. If your coaching staff isn’t in sync, how can you expect your players to be in sync? We’re going to take that journey with them as they try to figure it all out. It has, in true Jordan form, some very comedic moments, and then it has some really dramatic, rooted moments as he finds his power and strength as an adult, as a coach, and as someone who is very good at his job and wants the respect for it.” 

The better team will be the one that can get everyone on the same page in the most efficient amount of time. The teams may be in opposite positions of where they were when the series started, but like it always has been, their mettle will be tested on the gridiron.

All American, Mondays, 8/7c, The CW