It’s been two weeks since Monte Vista Christian players threw on the helmets and shoulder pads for the first official day of practice.
Mustangs third-year head coach Spencer Ferrari-Wood believes they aren’t quite where they want to be at this point of the early 2025 campaign, wishing they were a little further along.
In spite of that, he reassured there’s still plenty to be fired up about with just days leading up to the season-opening kick off. The first test for MVC will be a non-league contest against Piedmont Hills on Aug. 29 at 7:30pm.
“We’re gonna have to throw some guys to the wolves this year early and just kind of go trial by fire, but I’m excited,” Ferrari-Wood said.
MVC will be a bit lighter on numbers than in years past, especially when it comes to the older players. According to the Monterey Bay Preps website, the roster has 28 names listed, including 16 seniors.
A pair of those seniors expected to take the charge are quarterback Max Arce and receiver/defensive back Boston Ashe.
“I think we look very solid, overall,” Ashe said. “There’s gonna be doubters every year, but I think especially more this year. We got some big shoes to fill, but I think we’re filling them pretty well.”
Some of those big shoes belonged to former quarterback Dom Pierini and receiver Nico Downie—a dynamic duo that put up record-setting numbers in the tri-county area for the past three years.
During that time, Arce took a seat behind Pierini as he studied the quarterback position.
“I’m excited to take this role and hopefully be the best leader I can to my teammates,” Arce said. “I know what I’m capable of. I’m just glad to come out here and play.”
And if history tends to repeat itself, the Mustangs are expected to air the ball as they return in the spread offense for a third straight year.
“We still want to throw the ball, but we might look a little bit different in how we do it,” Ferrari-Wood said. “We have the capabilities, the personnel to do it.”
Ashe was well aware they’d be losing a large portion of last year’s roster, yet he knew there was still another group of players who were just as ready to be called up.
“We have guys who’ve been thirsty for these positions,” he said. “We got a strong ‘26 Class and we think we can fill those roles well, better than people can expect.”
MVC will have a veteran-heavy front line in the trenches with seniors Jacob Wong and James Hanzlik expected to be the anchors on both sides of the ball.
Hanzlik is a fourth year starter on varsity and has started in 28 consecutive games, while Wong earned All-PCAL First Team honors in just his first year at varsity.
“[Wong’s] gotten a lot bigger, faster, stronger,” Ferrari-Wood said. “He looks the part.”
Mykhailo Bronevytskyy, a Ukrainian boarding student, will have his first shot in a starting role at middle linebacker after sitting in a reserve spot behind three seniors that graduated.
“[Bronevytskyy’s] great, he works really hard,” Ferrari-Wood said. “He’s a great kid, lives on campus in the dorms, so he’ll be a name to look out for.”
Ferrari-Wood is also enthusiastic about the group of juniors coming up from last year’s junior varsity team that finished with a 7-3 overall record.
“Now you’re going to kind of see if they can hang with the big boys in the big leagues,” he said.
Reece Walker, who is the lone sophomore on the squad, is coming off his first-ever season of playing football. Ferrari-Wood mentioned how the youngster didn’t really know the game, but then wound up being one of the best players as a freshman.
“The cool thing about Reese is he’s a starting goalie for the U-16 national team in water polo,” Ferrari-Wood said. “He’s a freak athlete, insanely gifted, still learning the game. We’re going to ask a lot of him this year, and I think he’s up to the task.”
MVC returns to a newly realigned PCAL Mission-North Division after finishing with a 3-3 record in league play, and a 5-5 overall record in 2024.
“Our division’s tough, I could go down the list,” Ferrari-Wood said.
The Mustangs will square off against cross-town rivals Watsonville and St. Francis, along with defending league champion North Monterey County, Scotts Valley and newcomers San Lorenzo Valley.
“I think it’s very underrated,” Ashe said. “We’ve got a lot of guys, a lot of ballers in this league from our team, other teams.”
MVC will also play a series of crossover games against Greenfield, Soledad and Stevenson—all from the Mission-South Division, which Ferrari-Wood has mixed feelings about.
“It’s weird,” he said. “I think we all got the same draw in terms of we have a game, a bye-week and then nine straight games. I guess we’re all on the same boat on that.”
Nonetheless, Ferrari-Wood is thrilled to see some new faces while taking on a set of challenges and obstacles along the way.
“I look at our schedule, there isn’t a game that you can chalk up as a win,” Ferrari-Wood said. “Every single game, league or non-league, we really got to play well.”
MVC football 2025 schedule
Aug. 29: Piedmont Hills, 7:30pm
Sept. 13: at Carlmont, 6pm
Sept. 19: at Soledad, 7:30pm
Sept. 26: Stevenson, 7:30pm
Oct. 3: Greenfield, 7:30pm (Homecoming)
Oct. 10: at North Monterey County*, 7:30pm
Oct. 18: vs. Scotts Valley*, 6:30pm (at Harbor High)
Oct. 23: San Lorenzo Valley*, 7:30pm
Nov. 1: at St. Francis*, 12:30pm
Nov. 7: Watsonville*, 7pm (Senior Night)
*PCAL Mission-North Division game
