APTOS — From 60, to 40, to 30, to 18.
This year’s senior class at Aptos High has seen its numbers diminish year after year, but the dwindling amount of bodies has not translated into much attrition.
The remaining seniors haven’t made any excuses, and they haven’t tried to persuade any of their former teammates to give football another shot.
They’ve banded together, pushed one another and marched on as one unit.
“I’m proud of all of [us] because there’s a really big commitment, especially here (at Aptos),” said senior outside linebacker Shane Modena. “(You’re) getting up really early in the summers, practicing hard, practicing long. I’m just proud of [us] for staying in this long.”
Aptos High senior LB/TE Shane Modena talks about the Mariners’ upcoming football season. #RPsports pic.twitter.com/YVOxnr5Xzk
— Tony Nunez (@Tony_Nunez) August 9, 2018
Modena and the other seniors that have gone the distance now hope their four years of hard work will translate into a league championship and a deep run in the Central Coast Section playoffs.
“A successful season is a league title,” said Aptos senior running back and linebacker Marcos Reyes. “All I want is a league title. Nothing else matters for me.”
Aptos last season finished runner-up to eventual CCS Open Division I champion, Salinas High, in the now-defunct Monterey Bay League Gabilan division. For many, the team’s 6-1 run through the powerhouse league was an impressive feat. For the Mariners, it was a “disappointing” end to an otherwise solid season.
“We came in, we did what we were supposed to do, but we just didn’t end up with the result that we wanted,” said senior quarterback Hunter Matys. “We’re hoping to get that this year.”
The Mariners’ seniors might lack numbers, but they make up for that shortcoming with experience.
Modena, Reyes and Matys were all difference makers for Aptos last season. Modena led the team in interceptions (4), Reyes rushed for a team-high 1,274 yards and 16 touchdowns and Matys tossed six touchdowns and also ran for three scores.
The Mariners also return linebacker Silvano Lopez, center Hayden Mennie, guard Josh Sousa-Jimenez, linebacker Edward Franco and QB Angel Aparicio. All five of those seniors played big minutes for a team that advanced to the postseason for the eighth straight season.
“Having a close bond can go a long way,” Reyes said. “Having a tight group, knowing each other, relying on each other, it’s just special.”
Aptos High senior RB/LB Marcos Reyes talks about being ready to shoulder the load on offense for the Mariners this fall. #RPsports pic.twitter.com/MuD2XbmbNs
— Tony Nunez (@Tony_Nunez) August 9, 2018
Reyes will once again be the go-to option in head coach Randy Blankenship’s Wing-T offense. The 5-foot-8, 190-pound back with tree trunks for legs will start the year just 332 yards shy of the program’s career rushing record of 2,082 yards, which Mike Allshouse set in the early 1990s.
Reyes, the MBL-G co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2017, could very well have shattered the record last season if not for an ankle injury, which kept him from playing in the Mariners’ regular season finale and their lone CCS contest, a 24-14 loss to Terra Nova High in the first round of the Open Division III playoffs.
The most important lesson he learn from last year’s breakout season: “Tape my ankles,” Reyes quipped.
Jokes aside, a healthy Reyes will be essential to the team’s success in the newly-formed Pacific Coast Athletic League.
Aptos will once again be amongst the giants of the section’s Southern Conference, playing Christopher High, Alvarez High, Palma High, San Benito High, Seaside High, Gilroy High and Salinas in the powerhouse Gabilan division. All but one team in the division made the playoffs last season, and three — Gilroy (D-V), Christopher (D-IV) and Salinas (Open D-I) — won CCS crowns.
The much-awaited rematch with Salinas, scheduled as both teams’ regular-season finale on Nov. 2 at “The Pit,” is circled on many of the Mariners’ calendars.
“It’s going to be a big one for us,” Mennie said. “Really wish we would’ve won that one last year for the championship. I really hope we can finish our season this year.”
Aptos High senior lineman Hayden Mennie touches in the Mariners strengths, most improved players and hopes for the upcoming season. #RPsports pic.twitter.com/UXaknNZ20k
— Tony Nunez (@Tony_Nunez) August 9, 2018
Mennie (6-foot-1, 227) and Souza-Jimenez (5-7, 215) are the lone returning offensive lineman from last season’s stout group. More than a handful of inexperienced but athletic replacements have tried to fill in the massive shoes left by Alex Austen, Justin Torres and Joseph Gutierrez-Lee, among others.
“Our offensive linemen are stepping it up,” Mennie said. “I think we’re stepping it up [to] where we need to be.”
The inexperience up front could lead to more opportunities in the passing game, a scenario Matys (6-2, 175), who only threw the ball 28 times last season, would welcome with open arms after spending the offseason improving his footwork and delivery.
With his favorite target, Blake Wheeler, gone following graduation, Matys will look for Modena (6-2, 169), as well as fellow seniors Eli Galster (5-4, 118), Juan Espinoza-Casillas (5-7, 150) and Aparicio (6-3, 186). Junior tight end Casey Bailey (6-2, 205) also has a soft pair of hands, and can set the edge in the running game.
“I’ve been working with my receivers three times a week, just throwing with them,” Matys said. “I didn’t throw the ball very well last year. I’ve been working on that a lot this year.”
Aptos High senior QB Hunter Matys talks about the weapons he’ll have at his disposal this fall. #RPsports pic.twitter.com/bMSATs8TCq
— Tony Nunez (@Tony_Nunez) August 9, 2018
Along with Reyes, Matys will also have fullback Josh Powell and wingback Vaughen Holland returning to the backfield after solid sophomore seasons. Powell (5-8, 180) was second on the team in rushing (980 yards, 4 touchdowns) last fall, while Holland (6-2, 170) recorded 10.6 yards per rush in limited action at the end of the season.
Senior wingback Bubba Gallardo is also expected to have a big final season after spending most of 2017 on the sideline with injuries.
“I’m very happy to come back with all the guys,” Gallardo said. “We’ve been working out all summer, hitting the weight room, so I feel like we’ll have a good year this year.”
Aptos High senior DB/RB Bubba Gallardo talks about the Mariners’ improvements and getting back on the field after an injury plagued 2017. #RPsports pic.twitter.com/UNgwk2wwgm
— Tony Nunez (@Tony_Nunez) August 9, 2018
Gallardo (6-1, 183) might make his biggest impact on the defensive side of the ball at defensive back, where the Mariners lost starters Desmond Mendoza, Will Murphy, Jordan Kadlecek and Wheeler to graduation.
Modena, Reyes, Lopez, Powell and Franco lead the front seven of the defense, which will feature several juniors and sophomores who played sparingly last season.
“We got a lot of young guys on the defense,” Reyes said. “They need to learn and adjust to the varsity level. Once that gets out of the way, I think we’ll be pretty solid.”
Aptos begins its season on the road at Templeton High in a rematch of last year’s season opener against the Eagles (Aug. 24) before traveling to San Mateo to play Aragon High the following week (Aug. 31) for what should be a meeting of CCS contenders.
The Mariners close out their preseason at home against Monte Vista Christian (Sept. 7) and will head into a bye week to prepare for their PCAL-Gabilan opener against San Benito (Sept. 21).
