With just days leading up to the 2025 season-opener, Watsonville football head coach Manny Contreras was already required to make a potential season-changing roster move at quarterback.
Tino Razo, a senior, injured his wrist during the Santa Cruz County Football Jamboree on Aug. 23, forcing him to miss the next six to eight weeks.
The Wildcatz will now have to rely on junior Edwin Cornejo, who led the junior varsity team to a 9-1 overall record in 2024.
“See what we can do, if we can put it together without having Tino,” Contreras said. “But I think Edwin, he can hold his own. We just have to protect him.”
Cornejo had a chance to run the offense during the jamboree, and he’s been practicing with the starters ever since Razo went down. Thus far, Contreras likes what he sees from the young slinger.
“The poise, and [Cornejo] has a fast processor,” Contreras said. “He’s an athlete, so I’m hoping he’ll be a little bit more vocal in the huddle or with the offense. But he’s young. You got to get his feet wet.”
Watsonville kicks off the season with a non-league contest at Santa Cruz on Thursday at 7pm.
Contreras has now set the bar higher for all of his returning players, including senior team captains Abraham Martinez and Lisandro Pantoja.
“[Pantoja] without a doubt, [candidate for] lineman of the year,” Contreras said. “[Martinez] probably had one of the best offseasons going into it. I am so impressed with both of these guys’ work ethic.”
During the offseason, Contreras rounded up all of the veterans by organizing more team dinners and movie nights on campus.
Martinez, who will be the ‘Catz’s primary running back and linebacker, said having a majority of last year’s group returning helps tremendously. Especially because he knows the next person stepping up is on the same page, and familiar with the goal of winning a league title.
“[It’s] being more disciplined, more fundamental and sticking to the basics,” he said. “It’s not all about making the tackle or scoring a touchdown, just make the play.”
Pantoja, a two-way lineman, added everyone from down in the trenches to the skill position players have built quite the connection.
“We all talk to each other,” he said. “For example, coach, he has us call out plays, or blitzes and reads. Just doing that and learning.”
Apart from working on self-descipline, Contreras sees a special group of young athletes and a core of veterans ready to take on major leadership roles.
Others to watch out for include juniors Mark Flores, Leeandro Serrano and Jaedel Gabug, along with seniors Luis Marquez and Mathew Silva—a defensive back who shuts down a third of the field when he’s lined up on defense.
On offense, Silva could be a go-to utility player if the ‘Catz need a first down or keep the ball moving downfield, Contreras said.
Moreover, it’s a year of redemption for Silva after breaking his thumb to begin the 2024 season, and finishing out the campaign away from the team following an altercation against Alisal.
“[Silva] very much has grown up,” Contreras said. “A big test for him, senior year.”
Contreras added Tim Powers as the team’s new offensive coordinator in hopes of helping Watsonville get through another challenging season in the Pacific Coast Athletic League’s Mission-North Division.
The ‘Catz will take on defending league champion North Monterey County, newcomers San Lorenzo Valley, Scotts Valley, and cross-town rivals St. Francis and Monte Vista Christian.
“We can’t sleep on anyone,” Contreras said. “Especially that Seaside game. As a coaching staff, we overlooked them, and that’s something that I’m gonna make sure going forward, that will never happen again.”
Contreras was referring to last year’s Mission-North contest against Seaside, which at the time owned an 0-5 overall record.
“We have to hold ourselves accountable, and we gotta set the standard for those people who don’t know the standard,” Martinez said. “We gotta show them and prove that we’re able to win.”
Watsonville won’t get a shot at redemption against the Spartans, who were demoted to the Santa Lucia Division. But, it will play a set of non-league games against traditional Santa Cruz County opponents such as Aptos and Santa Cruz—a rivalry that dates back to 1896.
The biggest surprise, though, is there will be no battle for the Belgard Kup against Pajaro Valley, ending a streak of 18 consecutive meetings between the cross-town rivals.
Contreras said there was a scheduling conflict that prevented both schools from being able to play each other. And he wants to accumulate as many Central Coast Section postseason points as possible now that there are two automatic playoff spots up for grabs in the Mission-North Division.
“Obviously playing Aptos, getting the points, it’s more at stake, as well,” he said. “Of course, there’s no way that we can get away from not playing Santa Cruz.”
Martinez and Pantoja both were disappointed about not being able to circle a game against PV on the calendar, yet they’re still excited to see what lies ahead as the new season gets underway.
Not to mention, the Wildcatz will get to play inside a refurbished Emmett M. Geiser Field.
“Whatever happened last year, happened, good or bad,” Martinez said. “Gotta let go of it, move on. It’s time to start new memories and create a new perspective on what Watsonville is.”
Watsonville football 2025 schedule
Aug. 28: at Santa Cruz, 7pm
Sept. 5: at Aptos, 7pm
Sept. 19: Alvarez, 7pm
Sept. 26: Pacific Grove, 7pm
Oct. 3: at King City, 7pm
Oct. 11: at St. Francis*, 12:30pm
Oct. 17: North Monterey County*, 7:30pm
Oct. 25: Scotts Valley*, 7pm
Nov. 1: at San Lorenzo Valley*, 12:30pm
Nov. 7: at Monte Vista Christian*, 7pm
*PCAL Mission-North Division game
