Former Southwestern College quarterback Drew Westling is back as a head football coach in the Sweetwater Union High School District. He returns with a bit more ammunition to succeed.
“The biggest thing is having an understanding of the NFS, which is shorthand for non-football stuff,” explained Westling, who made his debut with Chula Vista High School in 2014 but resigned at the end of the season. “Understanding the secondary challenges and benefits in the district is just as important as the on-the-field stuff.
“For the most part, we are working with a bunch of blue-collar type athletes and we want to play to their strengths.”
Hilltop expects to have many strengths to work with this season — strengths that could add up to a league title.
Westling listed the Lancers’ strengths this season as great upperclassmen and solid play at the quarterback, receiver and offensive line positions.
“We have balance — we have three quality running backs,” Westling said.
Hilltop finished 5-6 last season, 2-1 in Metro-South Bay League play, with a loss to Fallbrook in the opening round of the Division III playoffs.
Top seniors on this year’s roster include defensive back Frederic Soto-Saenz, running back/defensive back Angel Pineda, quarterback Alex Tejeda, running back/middle linebacker Dominic Esparza, lineman David Michael Garcia, receiver/defensive back Cristian Llanes and defensive lineman/linebacker Eddie Sanchez.
Top juniors include linebacker/tight end David Corona, receiver Gus Ferreira, defensive lineman/linebacker Noe Sanchez, receiver/kicker Max Ugarte, lineman Oziel Garcia and receiver/defensive back Greg Marshall.
Top newcomers include junior offensive linemen Tony Meza, Nick Murdock and Myles Pena.
Tejeda passed for 1,390 yards and five touchdowns (against 10 interceptions) while rushing for 327 yards and scoring four touchdowns.
Pineda rushed for 437 yards and scored nine rushing touchdowns while Ferreira caught 25 passes for 273 yards and one TD.
Esparza, a sparkplug defensively, led the Lancers with 81 tackles last year while ranking second on the team with six sacks. He also intercepted one pass and made two fumble recoveries.
Corona ranked third on the team with 69 tackles and also collected four sacks, made one interception and had two fumble recoveries.
Llanes had one pick and recovered one fumble. He also collected 177 yards on kick-off returns.
Westling said the keys to success for his team this season will be, in his words, “staying healthy and staying eligible.”
“That will be the biggest factors,” he said. “If we do those things, we have a great chance to be successful.”
Hilltop kicks off its season Aug. 26 with a home game against west side rival Castle Park.
Chula Vista Spartans hope to find renewed success in move to Metro-South Bay League
This is Daryl Butterfield’s second year as head coach of the Chula Vista High School football team. He’s looking to build on the foundation he and his coaching staff built last year.
“We have a year under out belts,” Butterfield explained. “We’ll build upon what we started last year, build on top of that. We want changes, of course. We’ll build up and add to it.”
The Spartans finished 1-9 during Butterfield’s maiden season at the helm, so it appears there’s plenty to build on.
The CVHS coach said the team’s strengths this season will be at the running back position and on the offensive line.
The team’s three primary running backs include Victor Agraz, Adrian Corona and Sergio Figueroa.
Corona is the team’s danger man.
The switch to the Metro-South Bay League should impact the Spartans’ record significantly after going 1-11 over the past three years in Metro-Mesa League play.
“I’m glad to be out of the Metro-Mesa League,” Butterfield said bluntly. “We just couldn’t compete with those guys. I’m looking forward to this new league where every Friday night should be a battle. May the best team come out on top.”
The Spartans will still be dealing with depth issues and many players will be going two-ways. But the mind-set is positive.
Top returners include left guard/defensive tackle Sio Pongia, Agraz (running back/linebacker), tight end/defensive end Lubaiddo Noiaseo, Figueroa (running back/middle linebacker), quarterback Paul Escobar, Corona (running back/cornerback) and lineman Jesus Araujo.
Butterfield said Escobar will be a big addition to the team’s offense this year.
The CVHS coach said the secret to the team’s success in 2016 will be contained in one word: consistency.
“We have to work on our consistency on offense, no turnovers,” Butterfeld said. “We also have to remember we are student-athletes. We have to make sure we’re eligible.”
The up-and-coming Spartans hope to give their fans something to cheer about as they kick off the new season with a pair of home games against Mt. Miguel (Aug. 26) and Hoover (Sept. 2).
Mariners have high expectations for upcoming 2016 gridiron season
The Mar Vista Mariners finished 8-4 last season, 1-2 in Metro-South Bay League play. The Imperial Beach school went two games deep into the San Diego Section playoffs — defeating El Centro Southwest by a score of 49-24 in the Division IV quarterfinals and ending its season with a 55-14 loss to eventual division and state champion Mater Dei Catholic in the semifinals.
Braced by seven all-league returners and nine returning starters, the Mariners have high expectations this season.
“Our strengths will be our offensive line and our running back position,” explained MVHS head coach Tyler Arciaga, who is 24-24 in his coaching career with the Mariners.
Mar Vista’s nine returners include senior running back/outside linebacker Khalil Spruill, senior offensive lineman Gabriel Preciado, senior linebacker Jacob Hinojosa, senior quarterback/defensive back Michael Wilson, senior offensive lineman Sergio Munoz, senior two-way lineman Lastu Tuasvao, senior receiver/defensive back Noah Berry, junior tight end/defensive end Jake Borst and junior defensive lineman Niko Figueroa.
All-league returners include Preciado, Hinojosa, Wilson, Berry, Spruill, Tuavao and Munoz.
Spruill rushed for 1,049 yards and scored 13 touchdowns last season while Wilson passed for 576 yards and five touchdowns and also rushed for 431 yards and scored five rushing touchdowns.
Berry rushed for 381 yards and scored four rushing touchdowns.
Mar Vista graduated 19 seniors last season. College prospects this season include Spruill, Preciado, Munoz and Tuavao.
The MVHS offensive line will be anchored this year by returners Preciado, Tuavao and Munoz. Arciaga said Spruill and junior Kyle Denney (up from the junior varsity team) will provide good depth at the running back position.
Arciaga said Wilson will provide “experience and good leadership” from the quarterback position while Hinojosa, a three-year starter and returning captain, will anchor the team’s defense. Both Berry and Wilson will provide experience in the secondary.
Arciaga said key losses to graduation the Mariners will need to overcome include Kaelin Washington (center/defensive tackle), Hugh Anthony (guard/defensive end) and Xavier Williams (receiver/defensive back).
Williams ranked third on the team last season with 498 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns.
“Tuavao and Figueroa provide experience at defensive line and we hope that Denney and Borst can continue to grow into their defensive end positions.”
Red Devils hope to toe the line, seek improvement
It’s not an ideal situation taking over the head coaching reins of a team after the start of a season. But Sweetwater’s Wesley Charles has grown to appreciate his new position as head coach of the Sweetwater Red Devils.
Charles stepped into the head coaching position just four games into last season’s schedule. Charles, an assistant coach for nine years, led Sweetwater to a 1-6 record in the team’s final seven games.
The Red Devils finished the season 1-9 overall, 0-3 in Metro-South Bay League play.
Charles is back as head coach and returns with some added insight.
“You get into a rut sometimes and this is a new challenge,” Charles explained. “I’m getting used to it. New is fun. New is exciting.”
Charles suggested his team will not be a pushover this season.
“We’re going to be faster than we were last year both offensively and defensively,” the SuHi sideline boss said. “Our front sevens will be vastly improved. We had some big bodies last year but they weren’t as athletic as they could be. We’re hoping by midseason our front seven should be our strong point.
Charles lists the Devils’ strengths this year as size, physical strength and work ethic.
Top returners include senior tight end/linebacker Adrian Kercher, senior lineman Alan Reyes, senior offensive lineman/linebacker Roque Espinosa, senior running back/defensive back Alfredo Ulloa, senior running back/defensive back Francisco Velazquez, senior lineman Phillip Brandon, junior running back/defensive backs Marty Sesma and Adreille Lagda, senior quarterback/defensive back Manuel Salazar and senior quarterback/defensive lineman Moses Harvey Ignont.
Kercher earned second team all-league honors last season while Harvey-Ignont won three medals at last spring’s South Bay League track and field finals.
Newcomers who should impact the team include senior lineman Rudolph Castaneda, junior tight end/defensive lineman Rugene Williams, junior running back/linebacker Pablo Castaneda, junior running back/linebackers Raul Romero and R.H. Malixi, and junior linemen Bryan Velazquez and Guillermo Gonzalez.
Entering the final week of training camp, Charles said the quarterback position was up for grabs between Harvey-Ignont and Salazar.
Top running backs include Sesma, Velazquez and Uloa. “We actually have five guys who can play in the backfield,” Charles noted.
Sesma and Ulloa combined for more than 1,000 rushing yards last season and five rushing touchdowns. Ulloa also had three receiving TDs for a team-leading total of six touchdowns.
Velazquez rushed for 544 yards and scored three rushing touchdowns and led SuHi in 2015 with 1,102 all-purpose yards, including 386 kick-return yards. Ulloa was next with 814 all-purpose yards, followed by Sesma with 709 all-purpose yards.
Charles said he expects his team to be competitive in the new-look league that features west side neighborhood rivals Chula Vista and Hilltop along with Mar Vista.
“We’re much improved over last year and will compete for the league championship,” Charles assessed. “Any team that thinks they’re coming to play a 1-9 team will think something different after they play us … We’ll see what happens.”
2016 Metro Conference Football Schedules
Metro-South Bay League
Chula Vista Spartans
August
26: Mt. Miguel at Chula Vista, 7 p.m.
September
2: Hoover at Chula Vista, 7 p.m.
9: Chula Vista at Morse, 7 p.m.
16: Chula Vista at Castle Park, 7 p.m.
23: Chula Vista at El Capitan, 7 p.m.
30: Eastlake at Chula Vista, 7 p.m.
October
7: El Cajon Valley at Chula Vista, 7 p.m.
14: Bye
21: Chula Vista at Sweetwater, 7 p.m.
28: Chula Vista at Hilltop, 7 p.m.
November
4: Mar Vista at Chula Vista, 7 p.m.
Hilltop Lancers
August
26: Castle Park at Hilltop. 7 p.m.
September
2: Hilltop at La Jolla, 7 p.m.
9: Hoover at Hilltop, 7 p.m.
16: Hilltop at Lincoln, 7 p.m.
23: Hilltop at El Toro, 7 p.m.
30: Escondido at Hilltop, 7 p.m.
October
7: Bye
14: Hilltop at Granite Hills, 7 p.m.
21: Mar Vista at Hilltop, 7 p.m.
28: Chula Vista at Hilltop, 7 p.m.
November
4: Hilltop at Sweetwater. 7 p.m.
Mar Vista Mariners
August
26: Mar Vista at San Diego, 6:30 p.m.
September
2: Castle Park at Mar Vista, 7 p.m.
9: Mar Vista at Decatur (Federal Way, Wash.), 7 p.m.
16: Valhalla at Mar Vista, 7 p.m.
23: Bye
30: Mar Vista at Santana, 7 p.m.
October
7: Montgomery at Mar Vista, 7 p.m.
14: Mar Vista at Southwest, 7 p.m.
21: Mar Vista at Hilltop, 7 p.m.
28: Sweetwater at Mar Vista, 7 p.m.
November
4: Mar Vista at Chula Vista, 7 p.m.
Sweetwater Red Devils
August
26: University City at Sweetwater, 7 p.m.
September
2: Sweetwater at Olympian, 7 p.m.
9: Bye
16: Sweetwater at Grossmont, 7 p.m.
23: Sweetwater at Scripps Ranch, 7 p.m.
30: Sweetwater at Serra, 7 p.m.
October
7: St. Margaret’s (San Juan Capistrano) at Sweetwater, 7 p.m.
14: Vincent Memorial at Sweetwater, 7 p.m.
21: Chula Vista at Sweetwater, 7 p.m.
28: Sweetwater at Mar Vista, 7 p.m.
November
4: Hilltop at Sweetwater, 7 p.m.
