• Last year’s record: 2-8
• Last year’s league record: 1-5 (6th in Monterey Bay League Pacific division)
• Last year’s MaxPreps state ranking: 839th
• Coach: Sean Gomes
• Key losses: Jerry Perez; receiver and defensive back was an All-MBL-P First Team selection…Izzy Barragan; senior center was the lone experienced lineman the Condors showcased last season…Sergio Chavarria; a leader at linebacker and explosive in his few touches on offense, Chavarria was arguably the Condors’ top overall player last season.
• Key possible returners: Joseph Bertao (Sr.); made plays with his arm and his feet as the Condors’ quarterback…Abel Ruiz (Sr.); small but tough, the 5-foot-9, 170-pound receiver and defensive back was one of the Condors’ young playmakers in 2017, along with fellow senior Lupe Sanchez…Konan Van Lear (Sr.); a big and strong linebacker who can play inside or outside, Van Lear might be the Condors’ best overall athlete.
• Notes: All but one league adversary — Monterey High — will be a fresh opponent for the Condors in the Pacific Coast Athletic League’s Cypress division, which will also feature Pacific Grove High, San Lorenzo Valley High, Santa Cruz High, King City High and St. Francis High. In terms of enrollment, N.M.C. (1,204) will be the second-largest school in the division. Monterey (1,307) is the largest…Condors have not had a winning season since 2010, and have not captured a league crown since 2003.
PRESEASON
North Salinas High
• When: August 23
• Where: Salinas Sports Complex
• 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…Condors last played against North Salinas during 2015 in a preseason game. The Vikings won that contest, 42-7.
Carmel High
• When: August 31
• Where: North Monterey County
• 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: 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…Condors had a tough time keeping up with the Padres’ athletes in last year’s 40-0 loss. Carmel totaled 389 yards of offense, including 160 passing yards from Lee.
Scotts Valley High
• When: September 7
• Where: North Monterey County
• 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 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…It will be the first time the two teams have met, according to R-P records.
Greenfield High
• When: September 14
• Where: Greenfield High
• Last year’s MaxPreps state rankings: 955th
• Last year’s overall record: 3-7
• Last year’s league record: 2-4 (T-4th in MTAL-Coastal)
• Coach: Adam Barsenas
• Notes: Adam Barsenas is the new head coach for Greenfield. The former assistant and 2004 alumnus, Barsenas takes over for Ryan Bravo, who stepped down after six seasons with the Bruins…Greenfield has not won a league title in its 18 years of existence, and last year’s 3-7 finish was the program’s seventh straight losing season…Tight end Andres Espinosa is the Bruins’ lone retuning All-MTAL-C First Team selection. Quarterback Andy Hernandez, the MTAL-C Back of the Year, is gone…N.M.C. won the programs’ first and only meeting in 2014 via a 27-2 blowout.
PCAL-CYPRESS
Monterey High
• When: September 21
• Where: North Monterey County
• Last year’s MaxPreps state rankings: 809th
• Last year’s overall record: 3-7
• Last year’s league record: 2-4 (5th in MBL-Pacific)
• Coach: Henry Lusk
• Notes: Henry Lusk is the Toreadores’ new head coach. The 1990 alumnus and former NFL player takes over for Dan Brown, who stepped away from the program after three seasons…Monterey has finished under .500 each of the last three seasons…Quarterback Evans Charles, receiver Iris Hutchins and running backs Darius Garrard, Azjani McGill and Janias Thomas all return for what should be a lightning quick offensive attack…Toreadores won last year’s meeting with N.M.C., 42-9, by plowing through the Condors’ defense for 227 yards on the ground.
Pacific Grove High
• When: September 28
• Where: North Monterey County
• Last year’s MaxPreps state rankings: 933rd
• Last year’s overall record: 1-9
• Last year’s league record: 0-6 (last in MTAL-Mission)
• Coach: Chris Morgan
• Notes: The Breakers last year failed to win a league game for the first time since the turn of the century…Leading rusher Hunter Haynes, top pass catcher Jake Hanley and starting quarterback Ben Minik all return for the Breakers.
San Lorenzo Valley High
• When: October 6
• Where: San Lorenzo Valley
• Last year’s MaxPreps state ranking: 734th
• Last year’s overall record: 5-5
• Last year’s league record: 3-3 (5th in MTAL-Mission)
• Coach: Dave Poetzinger
• Notes: S.L.V. has finished .500 or better each of the last four seasons…Starting quarterback Trent Walker and leading rusher Mark Carling are both gone, but seniors Stevie Markey and Taj Glasky are set to step into those two respective voids…It will be the first meeting between the two programs since the 2005 season.
Santa Cruz High
• When: October 12
• Where: North Monterey County
• Last year’s MaxPreps state rankings: 838th
• Last year’s overall record: 5-6 (CCS Division V qualifier)
• Last year’s league record: 5-1 (MTAL-Coastal co-champion)
• Coach: Jesse Trumbull
• Notes: Santa Cruz won its first league title in more than two decades last season…Quarterback Abram Soriano and the Cardinals’ top three rushers (Johnny Soto, Taj Carpenter and Adrian Flores) are all gone. Five-foot-10, 145-pound back Nathaniel Loza is the only retuning skill position player who saw a significant amount of touches last season…N.M.C. has not played against Santa Cruz in at least more than 20 seasons.
King City High
• When: October 26
• Where: King City
• Last year&rs
quo;s MaxPreps state rankings: 647th
• Last year’s overall record: 6-4
• Last year’s league record: 4-2 (T-2nd for MTAL-Mission)
• Coach: Mac Villanueva
• Notes: King City has finished .500 or better in each of the last three seasons…The Mustangs have not won a league title since the mid ‘80s…It will be the first time N.M.C. and King City will face-off in eight years…King City’s star trio of quarterback Luis Luna, receiver Clay Barbree and running back Cedrick Perez is gone to graduation. The Mustangs, however, do have receiver Luis Briseno and running back Matt Morales back after combining for 10 touchdowns.
St. Francis High
• When: November 3
• Where: Strawberry Stadium
• Last year’s MaxPreps state rankings: 715th
• Last year’s overall record: 8-2
• Last year’s league record: 5-1 (MTAL-Coastal co-champion)
• Coach: John Ausman
• Notes: Sharks are fresh off winning their first-ever league championship. They also set the program record for wins in a single season…St. Francis will return its massive 20 player senior class, which includes running backs Devin McLeod, Andy O’Rourke, Abel Martinez and Andrew Seymour, whom combined for 1,986 yards and 20 touchdowns…This year’s meeting will be the first between the two teams.
• Editor’s Note: This entry is part 3 of 6 in a weekly series that will delve in each local high school football program’s schedule. Following alphabetical order, Pajaro Valley High’s breakdown will run in the July 6 edition of the Pajaronian.
