Carpinteria High football in many ways mirrors the school as a whole: a small, tight-knit community of students who have known each other for the majority of their lives.
This makes the football team unique, as they rarely receive transfer players and, in recent years, rarely field more than just a varsity team within the program.
There are 37 players on the 2023 roster, with the ranks covering every grade level. It’s a necessity for many Warriors to play on both sides of the ball.
“Being a small school, pretty much all of our key guys go both ways,” head coach Mario Robinson said. “They get their water as they go, but they’re on the field basically the whole game.”
The players take pride in their makeup.
“We’ve got a small team in a small town, but we’re out here fighting for our wins together,” senior wide receiver Sebastian Hernandez said.
Perhaps no better example of a two-way player on the Carpinteria roster is starting quarterback Talon Trumble, who doubles as a middle linebacker.
The 220-pound senior is willing to do whatever it takes to help his team win.
Last season, he led the team in passing yards (462), rushing yards (824) and total tackles (110), while also serving as the team’s punter.
There is a very good chance that Trumble leads the way in those statistical categories once again, if he has anything to say about it.
“I’ve been hitting the weights and getting stronger,” he said. “We have the ability to hand the ball off more, but I’ll still be running the ball for sure.”
As for utilizing his veteran group of receivers, “I’ve been working on throwing a bit this summer and we’ll probably be putting that in a little more this year,” he said.
Seniors Jason Dishion, Judah Torres and Hernandez, along with junior Luke Fancher, will all be playing wide receiver and contributing on the defensive side of the ball.
Meanwhile, senior running backs Isaac Flores and Isaya Gonzales will join Trumble in the linebacking corps.
With a majority of the same players on the field constantly with one another, a special chemistry has developed over the years that most likely wouldn’t be achieved on a team with a bigger roster.
“I’ve had them since they were freshmen,” Robinson said. “They’ve come together as a team and I’ve seen growth in the ability to get their teammates to step up to the plate for each other.
“This is like a family unit for all of them.”
The Carpinteria football family will begin their journey on Friday, Aug. 25, at Cabrillo of Long Beach.
