Mustangs maintain formation to become Mission North contenders | PCAL football

August 19, 2026

PAJ2634 MVC football 2026 preview - WEB-1 — Monte Vista Christian High senior Evan Vessey will return as the starting quarterback for the Mustang football team, which kicks off the 2026 fall campaign at Seaside High on Aug. 27 at 7:30pm. (Juan Reyes/The Pajaronian)

Two games into the 2025 campaign, Monte Vista Christian senior Evan Vessey was named the starting quarterback.

And just like that, the youngster was in charge of a varsity offense.

The Mustang slinger did his best to get the job done on the field but it wasn’t enough to deliver a winning season.

Vessey returns under center for a second straight year, only this time he’s feeling a lot more comfortable, and confident, as ever.

“I think we’re gonna go far, honestly,” he said. “I love our team mentality. I love how we build a brother up, we always are positive towards each other. If a man doesn’t do his job you pick him up and help him move on to the next play.”

MVC finished with a 4-6 overall record last season. They placed fifth in the Pacific Coast Athletic League’s Mission North Division, going 1-4 in league play.

Vessey, who has an elite arm and outstanding leadership ability, will have plenty of playmakers to help him get the job done this season.

Jordan Ramirez is a remarkable athlete and impact player on both sides of the ball, while Johnny Finney should be a versatile two-way starter who can impact the game in multiple ways.

Vessey really enjoys the new pro-style offense that MVC first-year head coach Joe Sturdivant instilled during the offseason.

For starters, it’s going to take a lot of pressure off Vessey’s shoulders (literally). In 2025, he completed 70 percent (279 of 396) of his pass attempts while compiling 3,438 yards, 27 touchdowns and just five interceptions, according to statistics on the Max Preps website.

Plus, he likes the idea of being able to run some play-action, when accordingly.

“We did a very good job passing the ball [last year], but I feel like every team knew we were gonna just pass the ball,” Vessey said. “So, mixing it up with a run game, it will give us more of an opportunity for [Ramirez] to get open more, just not rely on the pass game.”

Ramirez added the new playbook opens their palate, and they’re able to spread the field by putting players in certain positions to make plays.

“It’s going to be a lot more mix-match here and there,” he said.

Sturdivant said their system is designed to take what the defense is going to give them, and create the best matchups when they can.

“When I say pro-style offense, that’s what it means,” he said. “We’re going to game plan to run the offense that attacks that defense we see that week. So if it’s throw it a bunch, we’ll throw it a bunch. Run a bunch, we’ll run a bunch.”

Senior Kai Bergthold is another two-way starter who will lead the secondary on a formation-adjust defense that mixes both three-man and four-man fronts to create matchup advantages.

Ramirez, who guards the outside as a cornerback, said the way they line up will apply a lot more pressure on the opposing offense.

“Make the quarterback make quick decisions,” he said. “Get the ball out quick to give our secondary a better chance to capitalize, and tackle the ball and do what we do great. It helps us out.”

Sturdivant said the strength of their defense will be the linebacker corps that includes junior Reece Walker, a young player with the ability to make an immediate impact.

Other newcomers for the Mustangs are juniors Seth Estorga and Brandon Hagan.

Estorga is expected to be a two-way starter on the line, while Hagan brings both toughness and athleticism as one of the main halfbacks and linebackers on the squad.

“All three of those guys are old-school football players, just tough, hard-nosed,” Sturdivant said. “Reese, that’s a big running back. He’s also a big linebacker for high school. I think today he showed he’s got some really good speed. Brandon made some great runs, but he’s also a good linebacker.”

MVC will scrimmage against Pajaro Valley, Rancho San Juan and King City at Alisal High on Aug. 21. Then they’ll begin the regular season with a non-league contest at Seaside on Aug. 27 at 7:30pm.

The Mustangs return to the PCAL Mission North Division where they’ll face some familiar faces in San Lorenzo Valley, Scotts Valley, St. Francis and Watsonville.

The division will also welcome newcomer Aptos, which was relegated from the Gabilan Division after going 0-8 in league play in 2025. They are 6-0 against MVC since 2000, and it’s the first meeting between both teams since 2021.

Vessey is excited to play Aptos in what he anticipates will be a great game, especially because it’s on homecoming night during the school’s centennial celebration.

Ramirez added that in order to contend in the Mission North they’ll need to compete on every single play and show it by dominating the opposition.

“For us, it’s competing and dominating, and showing our confidence,” he said. “Just building as a team is really what’s supporting us.”

Sturdivant, who is a Georgia native, is new to the local rivalry scene. But despite being an “outsider,” he knows these newly revived matchups are great for the local communities.

“The more fans that are there and people care, that means a little bit more to the folks of the area and the community,” he said. “When you’re a local team playing another local team, things matter.”