Pajaro Valley High senior Izaak Ocampo knows the football program has been considered a doormat of the league for quite some time.
In fact, the Grizzlies have recorded just one winning season since the team began competing in 2006. That was long before he was even born.
Ocampo wants to rewrite the history books and tell an entirely different story for the upcoming 2024 campaign.
“I know a lot of people disrespect us and say, ‘Oh, it’s PV, we don’t have to worry about it. It’s an easy win,’” he said. “I said, no, let’s change that. Let’s have them see us on the schedule and say, ‘Oh shoot, we got PV.’ Let’s go out there and win some games so people start fearing us.”
The standout receiver is also trying to make history by attempting to lead the Grizzlies to their first trip into the Central Coast Section playoffs.
In order for that to happen, they will need to have one of the biggest turnaround seasons ever.
They tied for sixth in the Pacific Coast Athletic League Santa Lucia Division standings going 1-5 in league play, and finished with a 1-9 overall record in 2023.
The silver lining is Pajaro Valley will have Ocampo and fellow teammate Brian Flores—a pair of all-leaguers—returning to the team. Both upperclassmen are beaming with confidence heading into the upcoming fall season.
There’s a sense of optimism rumbling through the locker room.
“It’s gonna take us to work together and we want to have [the hunger] to win football games,” Ocampo said. “
Pajaro Valley head coach Casey Neligh expects his veteran team captains—Ocampo and Flores—to lead the program because it will be a reflection of their overall record this season.
The second-year skipper said both of his top dogs are energy givers and do whatever it takes for them to do better than the day before.
“Brian’s definitely a guy that will sell it, and Izaak is one too,” Neligh said. “I’m really impressed with just their senior leadership, it’s huge.”
In years past, the Grizzlies were known to have a run-first mentality by pounding the rock. This season they return to the spread offense in hopes of setting up the run.
“I think with what we got going on with year two in the spread, we’re going to shock some people because we don’t have to install anymore. We’re continuing from the hard work we put in last year,” Neligh said.
Senior quarterback Miguel Solano feels a lot more comfortable and confident returning to the spread offense. Protecting him will be offensive linemen Caleb Duarte, Aron Bernabe, Mario Ramirez, Jose Fernandez and Eriberto Estrada.
Others to watch this season include sophomores Andrew Chavez and Adrian Mendoza, who have impressed Ocampo thus far.
“Every day at practice they give it 100 [percent],” Ocampo said.
Last year was challenging for Ocampo and his teammates after transitioning from the Wing-T to the spread offense. They were basically learning a new system on the fly.
Neligh said this year’s returning group was able to pick up where they left off. Now they’re talking about offensive formations, knowing how to get lined up or who to block, and the counting system is in play.
“It’s going to be exciting this year because now the grind’s over. You had to coach your ass off last year, and now we’re going to see the fruits,” Neligh said.
The Grizzlies’ defense will be in an odd front that Neligh—who was a defensive standout at Salinas High—said gives them the ability to do anything out of that formation.
Senior receiver/defensive back Toni Bahena is a quiet leader but a skilled player who Neligh can bring off the edge or at linebacker, and drop him up top as a safety.
“It’s gonna be a lot of fun this year,” Neligh said.
Neligh has been able to involve more linebackers and defensive backs into blitz packages because they now have a better understanding of the blocking systems, schemes and the verbiage on offense.
Neligh said it’s a growing process, yet he’s confident they can be balanced defensively while bringing pressure all at the same time.
“Just swarm to the football. That’s all we gotta do,” he said.
Leading the defensive pack of Grizzlies is Flores, a stalwart at the middle linebacker position. He made it clear to his teammates there is no time to slack off this season.
“It’s my senior year, it’s your guys’ junior year, we’re here to change,” Flores said. “I’m tired of being looked at as bad and a 1-9 team. I’m just sick of it. We have a purpose each day.”
Flores mentioned how the intensity during practice is night-and-day compared to last year, adding that players are holding each other accountable. Which is one of the first big steps to turning things around.
“Last year, we said we’re gonna do a lot of stuff. This year, we’re not gonna talk, we’re just gonna do,” Flores said. “We’re here to just play hard.”
The regular season begins with a non-league home game against Lynbrook High on Aug. 31 at 12:30pm, followed by back-to-back road games at St. Francis High in Watsonville and Denair High near Turlock.
Pajaro Valley will host cross-town rival Watsonville High for the annual Belgard Kup in a non-league contest Sept. 21 at 12:30pm.
The Grizzlies return to the Santa Lucia Division—the lowest tier of the four within the PCAL. They’ll face familiar foes in Gonzales, Harbor, Marina, San Lorenzo Valley and Stevenson, along with newcomers Santa Cruz, which was relegated from the Mission Division–North.
Neligh said it’s a perfect situation for a smaller school like Pajaro Valley that doesn’t have a Pop Warner feeder team.
He believes if the school had stadium lights they could foster a youth football program and build the local community with football, especially because the game teaches children life lessons.
“We’re talking about 150 kids we could impact, that changes everything,” Neligh said. “If we had another team in this town, you’re changing and impacting the community because lives are being impacted positively.”
If you build it, they will come.
Pajaro Valley High 2024 football schedule
Aug. 31: Lynbrook, 12:30pm
Sept. 7: at St. Francis, 12:30pm
Sept. 13: at Denair, 7pm
Sept. 21: Watsonville, 12:30pm
Sept. 27: at Marina*, 7:30pm
Oct. 5: at Santa Cruz*, 7:30pm
Oct. 12: Harbor*, 12:30pm
Oct. 19: at Stevenson*, 2:30pm
Oct. 26: Gonzales*, 12:30pm
Nov. 9: San Lorenzo Valley*, 12:30pm
*PCAL Santa Lucia Division game
