• Last year’s record: 4-6
• Last year’s league record: 2-5 (6th in Monterey Bay League Gabilan division)
• Last year’s MaxPreps state ranking: 529th
• Coach: Jubenal Rodriguez
• Key losses: Sean White; Mustangs quarterback threw for 2,390 yards and 21 touchdowns last season… Cody Paresa; the 5-foot-10, 185-pound back ran for 1,235 yards and nine touchdowns. His most impressive stat: 6.6 yards per carry…Cory Margo; the heartbeat of the M.V.C. defensive line last season led the team with 11.5 tackles for loss…Nick Arroyo; one of the better cornerbacks in Santa Cruz County over the last two seasons, he finished with three picks and 17 pass deflections in 2017.
• Key possible returners: Nick Bautista (Sr.); the 6-foot, 180-pound receiver racked up the second-most receiving yards (1,102) of any player in the CCS last season. He also had eight touchdowns…Daniel Brierley (Sr.); evolved from a solid option in the slot as a sophomore to an all-around threat last season, catching 42 balls for 526 yards and seven touchdowns. Also played well on defense when Mustangs were in a pinch…Scott Tinsley, (Sr.); one of the more underrated defensive backs last season. Though he was slight in frame (6-0, 165), Tinsley was a solid tackler in the alley and in space. The free safety finished with the third most tackles on the team.
• Notes: Jubenal Rodriguez is the new head coach at M.V.C. Rodriguez last season led Gilroy High to the CCS Division V championship and a perfect 13-0 record. He took over for Bruce Dini, who was let go after finishing 4-6 in his first year with the Mustangs…M.V.C. has not had back-to-back losing seasons this decade…The Mustangs last season missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013…M.V.C. will be the lone private school in the MTAL-Mission division.
PRESEASON
Christopher High
• When: September 24
• Where: Monte Vista Christian
• Last year’s MaxPreps state rankings: 232nd
• Last year’s overall record: 11-2 (CCS Division IV champion)
• Last year’s league record: 4-2 (Third in MBL-Pacific)
• Coach: Tim Pierleoni
• Notes: After suffering back-to-back losses to Gilroy and Alisal, Christopher finished off its season with a five-game winning streak in which it outscored opponents by 27 points…The Cougars return their quarterback (Ben Sanford), their top rusher (Tyler Davis) and their best two pass catchers (Joseph Scirigione and Joseph Cupp) from a prolific offense that averaged 34.5 points per game…It will be the return of a sneaky good rivalry. M.V.C. won the last meeting in 2016, and holds a 4-1 advantage in the all-time series.
The King’s Academy
• When: August 31
• Where: The King’s Academy
• Last year’s MaxPreps state ranking: 407th
• Last year’s overall record: 4-6
• Last year’s league record: 3-2
• Coach: Pete Lavorato
• Notes: Pete Lavorato’s first season as head coach did not go as planed, as the Knights lost their first five games and finished under .500 for the first time since 2012. But Lavorato, a five-time CCS champion with Sacred Heart Prep, had T.K.A. trending upward at the end of the season by winning four of five games…The Knights top two rushers, Bralyn Lux and Jayden Fraizer, will be back after combining for 1,131 yards and 17 touchdowns last season.
Aptos High
• When: September 7
• Where: Trevin Dilfer Field
• Last year’s MaxPreps state ranking: 226th
• Last year’s overall record: 7-4 (CCS Open Division III qualifier)
• Last year’s league record: 6-1 (MBL-Gabilan runner-up)
• Coach: Randy Blankenship
• Notes: Last season was the first time the Mariners failed to win a CCS playoff game since 2011…Aptos won last season’s meeting, 49-28, behind Marcos Reyes’ 292 rushing yards and four touchdowns. It was the first time the two had met since 2001…Reyes will be one of several Aptos stars returning from last season. Sophomore fullback Josh Powell, quarterback Hunter Matys, linebacker/receiver Shane Modena and defensive back/running back Bubba Gallardo will all return.
PCAL-MISSION
Soledad High
• When: September 21
• Where: Soledad High
• Last year’s MaxPreps state rankings: 487th
• Last year’s overall record: 7-4 (CCS Division V qualifier)
• Last year’s league record: 5-1 (MTAL-Mission champion)
• Coach: Eric Rodriguez
• Notes: Eric Rodriguez is the new head coach of the Aztecs. An assistant coach at Soledad and King City since 2010, Rodriguez takes over for Frankie Berlanga, who stepped down after seven years at the helm. Berlanga led the program to a pair of league titles and a CCS crown…The Aztecs will without their quarterback (Robbie Santa Ana) and their top rusher (Emanuel Ortega), among others. They do, however, return stud receiver Angel Olivas, who caught 40 passes for 840 yards and 11 scores…Soledad has not had a losing season since 2010.
Carmel High
• When: September 28
• Where: Monte Vista Christian
• Last year’s MaxPreps state rankings: 470th
• Last year’s overall record: 6-4
• Last year’s league record: 4-2 (T-2nd in MTAL-Mission)
• Coach: Golden Anderson
• Notes: Will be the first meeting between the two teams since the CCS D-IV championship in 2011. Carmel won that game, 59-35…The Padres last season missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006…With their top two rushers (Luke Melcher and Dakota Mornhiweg), their best receiver (Rashaan Ward) and their starting quarterback (Kai Lee) returning, Carmel will be one of the more talented teams in the division.
Scotts Valley High
• When: October 5
• Where: Monte Vista Christian
• Last year’s MaxPreps state ranking: 458th
• Last year’s overall record: 7-5 (CCS Division V semifinalist)
• Last year’s league record: 4-2 (T-2nd in MTAL-Mission)
• Coach: Louie Walters
• Notes: The two teams met last year in the preseason. Scotts Valley won, 21-19, on a late field goal…Scotts Valley is the smallest public school in the division, with an enrollment of 802 students, according to the 2017-18 CBEDs…The Falcons made the playoffs for the third straight season in 2017…Scotts Valley lost nearly every key contributor from last year’s team to graduation. Quarterback and defensive back Kyle Rajala, an all-league selection on defense, is one of few skill position players returning.
Alisal High
• When: October 12
• Where: Alisal High
• Last year’s MaxPreps state rankings: 481st
• Last year’s overall record: 7-5 (CCS Division IV runner-up)
• Last year’s league record: 5-1 (MBL-Pacific runner-up)
• Coach: Cesar Chaidez
• Notes: Everything came together for the Trojans last season, as they finished 7-5 overall and placed second in the MBL-Pacific division. It was their first winning season since 2012… lineman Isaac Duenas and Israel Corona, whom earned all-league first-team honors last season, lead a 21-player senior class under head coach Cesar Chaidez…With an enrollment of 2,821, Alisal is the largest school in the division…Will be the first meeting between the two schools since 2014. M.V.C. won that game 15-7.
NON-LEAGUE
Monrovia High
• When
: October 20
• Where: Monrovia
• Last year’s MaxPreps state rankings: 499th
• Last year’s overall record: 4-7 (Southern Section Division VII qualifier)
• Last year’s league record: 4-0 (Rio Hondo League champion)
• Coach: Chris Williams
• Notes: Chris Williams is the new head coach replacing Jerry Chou… Mascot is the Wildcats…Monrovia is eight miles east of Pasadena…Monrovia lost all seven of its non-league games, but made the SS D-VII playoffs as the champion of the Rio Hondo League…Running back Maury Rams IV ran for 1,503 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior last season…Last season was the first time Monrovia finished under .500 since 2005.
PCAL-MISSION (Cont’d)
North Salinas High
• When: October 26
• Where: Monte Vista Christian
• Last year’s MaxPreps state rankings: 709th
• Last year’s overall record: 1-9
• Last year’s league record: 0-7 (last in MBL-Gabilan)
• Coach: Ben Ceralde
• Notes: Ben Ceralde is the new head coach of the Vikings. A North Salinas alumnus, Ceralde takes over for Darren Spence, who stepped down after a 1-9 season last fall…North Salinas went 2-11 in the MBL-Gabilan division over the last two seasons…The Vikings will have to start from scratch after graduating nearly every offensive weapon from last year’s squad…M.V.C. won last year’s meeting against the Vikings, 25-14.
Watsonville High
• When: November 2
• Where: Emmett M. Geiser Field
• Last year’s MaxPreps state rankings: 697th
• Last year’s overall record: 6-4
• Last year’s league record: 3-3 (4th in MBL-Pacific)
• Coach: Ron Myers
• Notes: M.V.C. has beaten Watsonville in each of their last four meetings, including their last showdown in 2014. Before that, the Wildcatz had beaten the Mustangs in back-to-back seasons in 2008 and 2009…Running back Matthew Barcelo, linebacker Esteban Reyes and lineman Andres Galvan lead a massive 36-player senior class…The Wildcatz’s 6-4 finish last season was their first winning record since 2009.
• Editor’s Note: This entry is part 2 of 6 in a weekly series that will delve in each local high school football program’s schedule. Following alphabetical order, North Monterey County High’s breakdown will run in the June 29 edition of the Pajaronian.
