Sports

High School Football Preview

It’s Friday Night Lights Time for Bishop Diego, Dos Pueblos, Santa Barbara, and San Marcos, with Carpinteria a Week Later

SBHS top offensive lineman Malachi Johnston at practice | Photo: Gary Kim

For high school football players across the state of California, the offseason is in the rearview mirror and the time to shine under the Friday night lights is here. Week Zero of high school football begins on Friday, August 23, as Bishop Diego, Dos Pueblos, Santa Barbara, and San Marcos will put their preparation to the test. Carpinteria will continue its long-standing practice of beginning the season with a bye week.

New league groupings that will give many local schools a greater opportunity to contend for the playoffs add to the intrigue of what is shaping up to be an incredible 2024 season on the Central Coast.

Bishop Diego

After a resurgent end to its 2023 campaign, Bishop Diego is in prime position to take a step forward in the reshuffled Marmonte League. With only two seniors on its roster last season, the Cardinals started with a 1-6 record before winning their final three regular-season games to claim a spot in the playoffs. With 20 starters returning and the experience of excelling with their backs against the wall, the Cardinals are a dangerous team in 2024.

“We’re counting on the guys picking up where they left off,” said head coach Tom Crawford. “Fortunately, we ended the season with some Bishop-quality games. Games that were playoff level, win-or-go-home sort of games, and the kids rose to the occasion.”

Quarterback Tua Rojas returns for his junior season after starting last year. He has put on 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason and brings an exciting dual-threat component to the offense.

Junior Oscar Anoai Mauia also returns at running back after exploding onto the scene down the stretch last season. At 5′11″ and 225 pounds, Mauia is in the mold of the dominant Bishop Diego running backs of the past. He rushed for 851 yards and 10 touchdowns on eight yards per carry as a sophomore. Gabe Villa offers a change of pace at running back and is an integral piece of the secondary. Jaison Lotu is another imposing physical presence who will carry the ball and contribute at linebacker.

At wide receiver, senior Nick Malesky is the primary threat with excellent size at 6′3″, soft hands, and an impressive catch radius. John Michael Flint will also contribute at receiver and in the secondary.

In the trenches, Mays Pese is a dominant force on both sides of the ball. The University of Arizona commit stands at 6′2″, 274 pounds, and is perhaps the best player in Santa Barbara County regardless of position. JD Vargas is another returning starter on the offensive line who should excel as a senior.

“We only lost one offensive lineman from last year, so we are pretty solid offensively,” Pese said.

The Cardinals have their hands full in the Marmonte League with Oaks Christian, St. Bonaventure, and newcomer Pacifica of Oxnard as fierce competition. However, the Cardinals have the experience and key pieces to be in the mix for an automatic playoff berth and a long run in the CIF playoffs.

Carpinteria

The Carpinteria football program is getting back to its roots in 2024 as longtime assistants Van Latham and Henry Gonzalez take over as co-head coaches for Mario Robinson, who departed after leading the Warriors to a 2-8 record in 2023.

“I’m retired from teaching now, so I have some extra time,” Latham said. “It’s going to be a fun project. We wanted to get some of our old coaches back; Rick Candaele is with us, and we have some great young coaches that played with us 8 to 10 years ago.”

Latham has been coaching various sports at Carpinteria since 1982.

The Warriors will be led by senior quarterback Sawyer Kelly, who contributed in spot duty at the position in 2023. Sophomore lineman Edwin Nova has stood out in the trenches, and Isaya Gonzalez is a talented running back who is expected to be a difference-maker.

Carpinteria only has 35 players in the entire program, so staying healthy will be very important as the season progresses with players contributing on both sides of the ball.

Dos Pueblos

It’s possible that no team will benefit more from the new leagues than Dos Pueblos. The Chargers have struggled in the Channel League play the last few seasons and have not made the playoffs since 2019.

However, in the newly formed Tri-County League, the Chargers will have a shot at winning every week. A league championship and the opportunity to test themselves in the CIF playoffs are real possibilities.

“We’re all excited. New leagues, new opportunities; I think we have expanded playoff opportunities for all our high schools,” said head coach AJ Pateras. “For us, it’s going to be a good change.”

For Dos Pueblos, it all begins with standout running back Kaleb Williams, who rushed for nearly 900 yards last season as a junior. Williams was named to the All–Channel League First Team despite running against stacked boxes. He is a shifty, powerful, and determined runner.

Senior quarterback Simon Alexander transferred from Carlsbad High, where he served as the understudy to former five-star recruit and current Ohio State freshman Julian Sayin.

Alexander brings poise and precision to the passing attack and will likely unlock the potential of playmakers at wide receiver, including Ivan Velez and Micah Barnhart, who flashed at times last season.

Joel Felix contributed as a sophomore but suffered a torn ACL as junior. He is back and expected to play linebacker and wide receiver. Senior Danny Perez is a leader on the offensive and defensive lines.

Linebacker Andrew Newendorp and defensive backs Zach Gesswein and Gonzo Murillo are key contributors on defense.

San Marcos

The Royals have been one win away from a possible playoff bid the past three seasons, and with the shift to the Tri-County League, San Marcos is now poised to take the next step.

“This is going to be a competitive league, and our guys know they have an opportunity here to do something really special,” said coach Ralph Molina. “If anything, the last two years being in the Channel League has prepared us for this.”

San Marcos returns 18 starters from a team that went 4-6 last season.

At the top of the list of returners is Nate Jones, a playmaker on both sides of the ball. Jones has the speed, quickness, and vision to break long runs.

“When I get the ball, I want to make the most out of it and put on a show,” Jones said. “Whether it’s defensively or offensively, I just want to make a statement.”

On defense, Brody Branstetter is a three-year starter at linebacker who has the green light to make calls. Branstetter is the second strongest player on the team and will also contribute heavily offensively.

At the line of scrimmage, San Marcos is big and experienced on both sides of the ball, led by Manny Verdugo, who has started since he was a sophomore.

Sophomore Remy Boykin is an exciting up-and-coming player who will contribute as a wide receiver, defensive back, and kick returner.

Santa Barbara

SBHS quarterback Laird Finkle | Photo: Gary Kim

The Dons were 9-3 overall last season and are coming off a heartbreaking loss to Corona del Mar in the CIF-SS Division 4 Quarterfinals. With a talented group of returning players, they will look to advance even deeper in the playoffs in 2024.

With the graduation of three-year starting quarterback Abel Renteria, Santa Barbara will turn to Laird Finkel, who returns after starting at quarterback at Alemany last season, where he passed for nearly 1,500 yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore while playing against some of the toughest competition in Southern California.

“It really helped me to step up my game, make quicker reads, and just play faster,” said Finkel of his time at Alemany.

Finkel is the 15th ranked 2026 pocket passer in the nation, according to the ESPN recruiting rankings. His talent raises Santa Barbara’s ceiling as they look to contend in the highly competitive Conejo Coast League.

Offensively, Finkel will have a bevy of talent to get the ball to, including explosive playmaker Kai Mault, who has been a dominant force the past two seasons on both sides of the ball. Another wide receiver, Tomas Gil, is perhaps the fastest player on the team and is a dynamic deep threat.

Running back Bode Fauskee is a tough downhill runner who is also a starting linebacker. Monty Lopez started at cornerback last season as a sophomore and will bring an explosive element to the backfield as a ball carrier this season.

Malachi Johnston has been starting on the offensive line since he was a freshman and is the leader of that unit as a junior. He is being recruited by the University of Nevada, among others.

DJ Wilson is a returning starter at safety who has bulked up in the offseason. He will be an imposing force in the secondary.

“We believe in developing our players up until the last game of the year,” said head coach Nate Mendoza. “Our goal is to hold a high standard, develop our kids, and kind of peak in week eight or week nine.”