This preview is the fourth in a series of articles highlighting the local 11-man high school football teams ahead of the 2026 season, which begins with Week Zero on Friday, Aug. 21.
Bishop Diego football fans are set to meet plenty of new faces on the field this fall, but the identity and playstyle between the lines will be familiar.
The Cardinals enter the 2026 season after graduating five starting skill position members from last year’s team and several standouts on the defensive end, giving those who have played reserve roles in recent years an opportunity to contribute this season.
However, Bishop Diego’s most experienced student-athletes come in the trenches, meaning head coach Tom Crawford and the Cardinals will once again lean on their size and strength up front against a tough Marmonte League.
“A lot of those (skill position) guys (who graduated) did have three years of varsity experience,” Crawford said. “So the biggest thing in the offseason for us has really been trying to get guys up to speed to replace those guys.
“They’ve been pushed pretty heavily during the spring and summer, and we’ve seen some improvement.
“[The linemen] are really ahead of the skill guys at this stage in terms of being comfortable with our schemes and so forth. I think early in the season, in particular, we think we can count on those guys to execute. I think that will provide us with some steadiness early on.”
New-Look Offense Built in the Trenches
For years the Cardinals have prided themselves on winning the battle of the trenches, and this year is no different with the size and experience advantage that they expect to have against most opponents.
“It’s a physical group on both sides of the ball, and we do have some size,” Crawford said.
Senior Terrence Tasila (6-2, 270) headlines that group on both sides of the ball as a returning All-Marmonte League First Team member. He will be joined on the line by senior Donovan Tupa’i (6-3, 300), junior Poamo Liu (6-2, 290), junior George Guzman (6-1, 255) and junior Edmund Tupa’i (6-2, 265).
“I feel like we’re the foundation of every pass play, run play, and it just starts with us,” Tasila said of the offensive line. “Every year, we have expectations we build up to, and we have to have a standard every year… We got a bunch of big dudes up front, and I’m pretty confident in our abilities and what we can do.”
Tasila and the rest of the line will be leading the way for a new group of players behind them, including sophomore quarterback Kaleo Satale (5-10, 210), who transferred from Tafuna High in American Samoa and will take over the starting job after Tua Rojas played under center the last three seasons.
“[Satale] reminds me of Tua with the skills that he has. He’s got a good arm. He is very composed, more composed than you would anticipate,” Crawford said. “He handles criticism and handles praise kind of the same way. You don’t get much of a reaction from him, and I think it’s because he is a mental processor.
“As the summer went on and we did some passing league work…you could see his growth. A lot of just getting on the same page with the other guys.”
Satale will have a group of skill position players eager to make a name for themselves, including junior running back Sam Boeddeker (6-0, 210), senior wideout Remi Boykin (5-7, 160) and JJ Mercier (6-4, 235), among others.
“We’re very diverse (offensively). Everyone can play a lot of positions, so we’re pretty comfortable,” Mercier said. “We’re looking to attack defenses and score a lot of points.”
“It feels like I fully get to show what I can do and really showcase how I really fit in with this team and how good we really are,” Boykin said.
Ready to Grind
Given the Cardinals’ roster size once again sitting in the low-to-mid 30s, according to Crawford, the vast majority of these standouts will be asked to play both sides of the ball.
“With the talented guys, it’s a question of how it is that you manage their workload,” Crawford said. “We will probably be doing more rotating than we’ve done in a while because of the need to make sure that the spotlight players are still with energy and able to perform in clutch times and in the fourth quarter.”
Crawford and the Bishop Diego coaching staff ensure the team is prepared for these situations with an emphasis on conditioning and strength training in the offseason.
“We have to get conditioned because of the depth this year, but we’re definitely ready for it,” Boeddeker said. “We’ve been conditioned every day, and we’ve definitely been going at it. So I think we’re ready for sure.”
The Cardinals will also have to be conditioned to face some of the top talent in Southern California, stepping into another season in the Marmonte League featuring St. Bonaventure, Pacifica, Oaks Christian, Simi Valley and Newbury Park.
Before beginning the rugged league schedule, Bishop Diego will also face a series of strong opponents in non-league action, with four of the five non-league games at home at La Playa Stadium.
“[The non-league games], I think, just give us looks at different schemes,” Crawford said. “When you get to the Marmonte, you have everything from the spread to zone reads. Having the guys exposed to that is good.
“I do think that we’ll be tested in games that will give us the opportunity to learn and see what we’re made of.”
Bishop Diego Football Schedule
- Aug. 21 – Bishop Diego @ Paso Robles
- Aug. 28 – West Ranch @ Bishop Diego
- Sept. 3 – Lancaster @ Bishop Diego
- Sept. 11 – St. Francis @ Bishop Diego
- Sept. 18 – Bishop Alemany @ Bishop Diego
- Oct. 2 – Bishop Diego @ Newbury Park*
- Oct. 10 – St. Bonaventure @ Bishop Diego*
- Oct. 16 – Pacifica @ Bishop Diego*
- Oct. 22 – Simi Valley @ Bishop Diego*
- Oct. 30 – Bishop Diego @ Oaks Christian*
* – Marmonte League Game
