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the Blitz season 9 football tab
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the Blitz season 9 football tab
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6................................................................TURLOCK HIGH SCHOOL 8.................................................................. PITMAN HIGH SCHOOL 10................................................................ HILMAR HIGH SCHOOL 12.................................................................DENAIR HIGH SCHOOL Publisher Editor Cover Photo by
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the Blitz season 9 football tab
Back to the gridiron
D
BY FRANKIE TOVAR
on’t call it a comeback, these kids have been here — preparing to play throughout the pandemic, despite the shutdown and in the face of all the setbacks thrown their way. They stepped up to the call in the spring to represent their respective schools during an unprecedented shortened, five-game season and now they’re ready for a full schedule of games and a return to normalcy. Any fan of high school football in the Valley knows that means stiff competition,
hard hits, and spectacular scores under the Friday night lights. As has been the case for nearly a decade, The Blitz will be there to capture all the action. We will bring you the highs and the lows from players and teams alike as league titles, section banners, and even state championships are pursued with a passion reserved for the gridiron. Just like the players we cover, however, there will be some changes that were put into motion more than a year ago that we’ll be forced to adjust to. The new format we adopted for the five-game
The Blitz will be there to capture all the action. We will bring you the highs and the lows from players and teams alike as league titles, section banners, and even state championships are pursued with a passion reserved for the gridiron.
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the Blitz season 9 football tab
2020 season will largely remain due to the part-time status of myself and the departure of the other original co-host of The Blitz, ‘Loud’ Eddie Ruiz. Reporter Angelina Martin will assume full-time Blitz duties as she enters her sixth season covering high school football for the Turlock Journal and she will be joined in print by the newest addition to the Journal, reporter Pawan Naidu. Like the teams we cover, this revamped Blitz team is ready to carry on the tradition
of the one we proceed. With a combination of new and experienced faces, we are prepared to bear witness to some of the most important nights in the lives of these high school players and we are excited to distill those nights into compelling episodes for the players to watch alongside their coaches, family, and friends for years to come. So, buckle your chin straps and tighten your shoulder pads — Season 9 of The Blitz is incoming!
Turlock High Bulldogs
T
BY ANGELINA MARTIN
he Turlock Bulldogs continued their Central California Athletic League dominance during last year’s five-game season, finishing with their fifthstraight undefeated season enroute to a third-straight league title. Now, the varsity team returns hungrier than ever with a full season ahead of them and the possibility of playoffs looming at its end. The Bulldogs lost quite a bit of seniors to graduation following the spring season, head coach James Peterson said, but their absence in practice so far hasn’t hindered the team thanks to a new crop of leaders stepping up. “We have a lot of young guys who are filling their shoes now, and they’ve come a long way,” Peterson said. “It’s new leadership, and the kids have just taken over that responsibility.” Leading the charge on offense will be two juniors:
I think we’ve got a big target on our back, but a lot of our motivation this year is coming from not being able to have playoffs last year and that’s motivated us to get bigger and stronger, faster and better. — Cole Gilbert, Quarterback
quarterback Cole Gilbert, who started a majority of the spring season under center for the Bulldogs as a sophomore last year, and running back JT Foreman, who is expected to be the
lead rusher for Turlock. On defense, the Bulldog linebacking corps of seniors David Salazar, Ty Teixeira, Brock Muirbrook and Ashton Baucom are doing an outstanding job of leading
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the team, Peterson said, and will surely bully opposing offenses this season. “These guys are really stepping up. They’re not only good athletes playing football, but they’re character guys with good grades,” Peterson said. “They’re the total package.” The team’s goal is to win a section title this year now that playoffs are back in the picture (they were cancelled last season due to COVID), and the Bulldogs are preparing for the gauntlet with a challenging pre-league schedule including games against Sacramento and Fresno schools. “Probably the most exciting thing for us is having a chance to go back to Sacramento for playoffs, and we’re also playing a game up there in the preseason,” Peterson said. “...I just don’t see how an easier preseason would benefit us. If our goal was to be a top team in Stanislaus County, then we could do that and not play as tough a schedule... the Blitz season 9 football tab
COVER PLAYERs
Cole Gilbert Brock Muirbrook
Aug. 20 @ Rocklin Aug. 27 v. Clayton Valley Charter Sept. 3 @ Bullard (Fresno) Sept. 10 v. Manteca Sept. 17 v. Clovis West Oct. 1 v. Pitman Oct. 8 @ Downey Oct. 15 v. Modesto Oct. 21 @ Enochs Oct. 29 @ Gregori
2020 record: 5-0 (CCAL Champs) Head Coach: James Peterson Points per game scored: 51.6 (258 total) Points per game allowed: 12.6 (63 total)
We’re trying to play the tough teams now, because we don’t have a choice in league.” Whether or not the Bulldogs earn their fourth-straight CCAL championship and a section title is still to be seen, but Peterson and the boys are just happy to be back playing in a somewhatnormal season. “I’m just feeling really lucky to have this group of guys and I’m happy to be there to support them,” Peterson said.
Nolan Ashbaugh Logan Bankson Aston Baucom Martin Bertao Bryce Campbell Manuel Castro Valentino Cisneros Joey Crivelli Delbert Curtice Logan Durkee Johnny Flucas Jamel Foreman Jakob Garza Cole Gilbert Noah Gonzales Israel Gonzalez Addan Gutierrez Logan Hart
Chase Hendrix Cole Hendrix Sebastian Hilton JD Horton Dalton Howry Armaan Kahlon Calvin Kirchhoff Aiden Lopes Luis Macias Zachary Macklin Kael McBay Peter Mello Jordan Mikkelson Fransico Molina Brock Muirbrook Phoenix NunezBradshaw Kyle Parker
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the Blitz season 9 football tab
Ashton Patterson Morgan Perrien Ian Petersen Braidon Porter Gage Pritt Brandon Reed Marcos Rodriguez Jason Rose David Salazar Nicholas Salcedo Daniel Sanchez DJ Sizemore Ty Teixeira Jason Thompson Alex Velasquez Joshua Weatherbee Cody Weaver Christian Zavala
Pitman High Pride U
BY ANGELINA MARTIN
nder new head coach Eric Reza, the Pitman Pride are looking to bounce back this year from a shortened COVID season which saw them finish fourth in Central California Athletic League play last spring. “These kids haven’t had a full, real season in almost two years, so I was hoping that the kids would bring new energy and excitement,” Reza said. “We’ve had a lot of long, hot practices but they’ve brought that and it’s been a nice atmosphere.” The team has been hard at work this summer preparing for a full schedule of football which starts this week — the first time the Pride and other CCAL teams will play a full season since 2019. Despite the ever-present coronavirus pandemic, the team is ready to compete under the leadership of Reza, who took over the pro-
I feel like we’re ready. We’ve been putting in more work this year because we have more to look forward to. — Joey Stout, Running back
gram following the resignation of Lance Weckerle in May. Reza is new to the varsity head coaching position but not to Pitman High, having coached at the freshman and junior varsity levels since arriving in 2004. With a team of veteran assistant coaches around him, Reza hopes to lead the Pride to a bounce back season and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2018. Fewer COVID restrictions and the certainty of actually having a season this year have allowed the Pride to properly prepare for competition, he said. “Last season was very stressful, but this year we can go a little bit slower with our preparation and can hit more details,” Reza said. “This summer we were able to get in the weight room and on the field a little bit more, so I’m hoping that extra time and work pays off.” It’s still a toss-up as to who will be under cen-
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2021
ter this year, as Reza weighs his two quarterback options in senior Evan Kiely — who also plays kicker — and junior Drew Walker. Though both have little to no experience playing QB at the varsity level, Reza likes what he’s seen from both so far. “Evan is very quick; he’s got those long legs and can move fast. He’s also a senior, so he has that leadership mentality,” Reza said. “Drew is like a surgeon. He’s very smart and understands everything. They both have their strengths and they both have things they need to work on.” No matter who’s at QB, they’ll have plenty of offensive weapons to choose from like senior running back and receiver Joey Stout as well as senior receiver Dylan Freeman. Those two are also expected to make an impact on defense, along with senior lineman Colton Salsig. Together, Reza expects the team to turn things around this season. “It’s going to take a lot of discipline,” he said. “If we keep the mistakes down, I think we’re talented enough to be in every game.” 8
the Blitz season 9 football tab
COVER PLAYERs
Joey Stout Colton Salsig
Aug. 20 v. Central Valley Aug. 27 @ Lincoln Sept. 3 v. Patterson Sept. 10 @ Golden Valley Sept. 17 @ Edison (Stockton) Oct. 1 @ Turlock Oct. 8 v. Enochs Oct. 15 @ Gregori Oct. 22 v. Modesto Oct. 29 v. Downey
2020Record: 2-3 Head Coach: Eric Reza Points per game scored: 23.8 (119 total) Points per game 27.4 (137 total)
1 2 3 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
We’ve got to be in the right mindset, because that’s where it starts. If we don’t have the right mindset, then we can’t perform on Friday night. It starts at practice.
Nathan Magallon Franky Romero Drew Walker Christian Romero Evan Kiely Kai Bravo William Dorantes Dylan Freeman Emmanuel Lopez Cruzito Garcia Anthony Manzo Mario Torres Jackson Hart Jimmy Cruz Ruben Marquez Fermin Ramirez
20 21 22 23 24 26 28 29 31 32 33 34 35 37 42 44
47 50 51 52 53 54 55 61 66 67 68 70 74 76 77 78
Kunoia Rice Jose Zamora, III Juan Ramirez Anthony Ventura Joseph Stout Jaime Romo Nick Sturgill Bo Dickie Julian Rosales Marc Ouse Daniel Aguilar Jeremy Garcia Simon Dadisho Kenny Jackson Ben Plaa Jack McBay
Luke Leiser Connor Malech Isaac Simoes Alex Rodriguez Colton Salsig Jorge Perez David Sandoval Milo Rucker Tyler Canella Juan Zarate Joseant Barrios Aidden Ribeiro Austin Miller Alex Saavedra Angel Lopez Aaron Arroyo
— Colton Salsig, Lineman
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the Blitz season 9 football tab
RATING
Hilmar High Yellowjackets
that made the year fun.” ilmar High The experience had high hopes gives Marques great for the 2020 confidence his returnseason. After ers and in a team he compiling an says could be his most overall record of 11-2, skilled group in recent earning a share of the memory. Trans Valley League “We have some rechampionship, and finally good returning ishing the 2019 season juniors from last year. as Sac-Joaquin Section And then that sophoDivision VI runner more team was really ups, the ‘Jackets and loaded,” Marques their roster of expesaid. “We’re probably rienced players were as healthy at the skill prepared to challenge positions as we’ve for a blue banner once been ever. We’re reagain before the panally excited about the demic quashed those guys we have at the dreams. skill positions and our — Broc Perry, Linebacker Instead, Hilmar line is really good.” found itself in a unique Though the 2021 position as, for the first squad boasts a juniortime ever, its program heavy roster, Marques was presented with and his coaching staff the opportunity to test expects the experiits mettle against the Central California ence from competing against the CCC Conference. The result was a dominate to help carry them past TVL foes such five-game season that saw the ‘Jackets as Ripon, Escalon, and Hughson – all of fall one point short of a perfect record. which are primed to make a run at the ‘They played five juggernaut teams. league title. The competition was super stiff and they Cannon Irelan and Derek Taylor – had a running clock against everyone both of which played varsity ball as they played, Hilmar head coach Frank sophomores last season – will lead the reMarques said. “As crazy as Covid was, ceiving core this year and will be comple-
H
BY FRANKIE TOVAR
mented by senior running back Blake Westmoreland. “They’ll be huge offensive weapons and they’re really outstanding on defense,” Marques said. Hilmar will also enjoy the leadership of Nick Vitorino, a former member of the backfield and recent addition to an offensive line that will be critical to the ‘Jackets’ success. “That’s a very selfless move that very few kids would make,” Marques said. “Most kids want to leave the line and go to the backfield and here’s a kid who gave up his skinny number for a big number just because he knows it’s the best thing for the team.” As for the quarterback position, all signs point to senior Camron Moak as the starter after a competition for the position was ended by a Hudson Azevedo ACL injury – the same injury that took out last year’s starting quarterback, Seth Miguel, in the final game of the 2020 season. Regardless, Hilmar is ready to return to form in the TVL. “I’m excited to see normal football. When I see people in town it’s, ‘Can we come watch
I’m happy to have a senior season...I think we’re all just glad to be out here for our last year, actually having playoffs and having a championship.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2021
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the Blitz season 9 football tab
COVER PLAYERs
Broc Perry
Blake Westmoreland
Aug. 20 @ Patterson Aug. 27 @ Los Banos Sept. 3 v. Modesto Sept. 10 @ Sonora Sept. 17 v. Livington Sept. 24 @ Ripon Oct. 1 @ Escalon Oct. 15 v. Hughson Oct. 22 v. Modesto Christian Oct. 29 @ Riverbank
2020 Record: 4-1 Head Coach: Frank Marques Points per game scored: 31 (155 total) Points per game allowed: 13.4 (67 total)
2 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 13 14 16 17 19 20 you guys play?’ It even chokes me up a little bit because this is a football town,” Marques said. “I’m ready for Friday night lights and getting our fans back in the stands.”
Hilmar begins it’s season with a road game against a stout Patterson High team on August 20 before kicking off league competition against Livingston High at home on
Hudson Azevedo Broc Perry Jax Jarvis Noble Santos Bradley Morris Lane Cardoso Emanuel Palafox Dylan Couto Cannon Irelan Jerardo Ponce Luis Vargas McKade Jensen Jax Branco Camron Moak Ezra Duenas
21 22 23 24 25 28 32 44 50 51 52 53 54 55 57
Blake Westmoreland Jayden Smith Derek Taylor Jason Pimentel Noel Lopez Arath Solorio Hayden Huff Kazuki Mihono Nicholas Vitorino Ben Sward Dylan Baballe Bruce Vazquez Landon Gomes Jace Dutey Jacob Flanery
58 59 60 62 63 64 65 66 68 72 73 76 77 88
Black Machado Kevin Parra Isaac Agueda Marcus Vaz Nicholas Borba Anthony Pires Saul Hernandez Fritz Troesch Caden Peterson Justin Souza Brandon Freitas Landon Cunha Matao Matos Andre Alves
September 17. “It’s going to be a fun, fun year and I think our fans are going to have a great treat watching these kids play,” Marques said.
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the Blitz season 9 football tab
Denair High Coyotes E
BY PAWAN NAIDU
xpectations were high for Denair High after finishing with a 9-3 record in 2019, and finishing second in the Southern League with a record of 6-1. However, the pandemic brough unprecedent challenges, and the Coyotes finished with a 1-4 record in 2020, while going 1-3 in league play. Denair Head Coach Anthony Armas is excited to play a full season and have his players return to more of a sense of normalcy this season. He is looking to bounce back after winning just one game last season. “We’re just trying to get back in the groove of the things. It’s tough for us trying to get back into that groove because it’s normally cyclical every year,” Armas said. “But now it’s been a while since we had to do that.” Amras pointed out Colton Webster and Conner Prock as two seniors who are going to make
As seniors, we’ll now cherish our senior year because last year they had a shortened season. We’re going to take advantage of it. — Conner Prock, Tight End
an impact through their leadership and commitment to getting better every day. “As soon as we were cleared to go, they’ve been out here. I think they’ve missed one day between both of them so we’re really looking at both them,” Armas said. Having the kids committed to football is going to help the team bounce back. “It’s about getting our kids dialed in with our offense and defense, and getting them back in the weight room. We want to get them back to be committed to the football program because there was so much going on the past year and a half, two years,” said Armas. This past season has made Armas appreciate the process more than in past seasons. “It’s one of those things where every year you have to grind and have a lot of stuff to do. You have a lot on your mind and try to get ready, but this year I’m actually looking for-
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2021
COVER PLAYERs
12
1
Jack Henderson
2
Ricardo Vargas
8
Harley Padilla
8
Anthony Pineda
11
Diego Dutra
13
Isaac Villa Martinez
21
Abraham Aguilar
22
Izaiahs Plasencia
23
Hunter Kincaid
26
Mario Plasencia
32
Logan Prescott
35
Conner Prock
44
Landen Climer
46
Angel Sanchez
56
Zack Duffy
58
Iesen Wardah
63
Jeremiah Barton
70
Wilder Diaz
76
Chris Hernandez
78
Colton Webster
the Blitz season 9 football tab
Conner Prock Colton Webster
Aug 27 @ Sparks 7 p.m. Sept. 3 v. Franklin, 7:15 p.m. Sept. 17 v. Ripon Christian, 7:15 p.m. Sept. 24 @ Gustine, 7:15 p.m. Oct. 1 @ Le Grand, 7:15 p.m. Oct. 8 @ Mariposa County, 7:15 p.m. Oct. 15 v. Delhi, 7:15 p.m. Oct. 22 @ Orestimba, 7:15 p.m. Oct. 29 v. Waterford, 7:15 p.m.
2020 Record: 1-4 Head Coach: Anthony Armas Points per game scored: 17.8 (89 total) Points per game allowed: 33.6 (168 total)
ward to it,” Armas said. “I get to do all this stuff that used to drive me crazy and I’m happy to do it.” The Coyotes have a good balance of younger and veteran players this season, but there’s still a lot of room for development. “We’ve got some seniors that haven’t played before or it’s been a couple years since they played,” Armas said. “They’re still learning, but they’re athletic and they’re ready to contribute to the program.” The Coyotes kick off their season Aug. 27 with a road game against Sparks High school. They begin league play against Ripon Christian on Sept. 17.
We’ll be ready this year. With everything that was taken away from us last year, we’re going to leave everything out on the field and respect our opponents. —Colton Webster, Lineman
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the Blitz season 9 football tab
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