This preview is the first in a series of articles highlighting the local 11-man high school football teams ahead of the 2024 season. The season begins with Week Zero on Friday, Aug. 23.
In an offseason full of change to the local high school football landscape, the goal at Dos Pueblos remains the same: return to the CIF playoffs.
The Chargers have not reached the playoffs since the 2019 season and are looking to do so for the first time during AJ Pateras’ tenure as head coach.
However, this season is different from years past. Dos Pueblos is no longer a member of the rugged Channel League and will compete in the newly constructed Tri-County League for the 2024 season.
“We’re all excited, new leagues, new opportunities,” Pateras said. “I think we’ve expanded playoff opportunities for all of our high schools.
“What’s going to be really nice is everyone, every week is going to have an opportunity to compete.”
Other members of the Tri-County League along with Dos Pueblos are crosstown rival San Marcos, Fillmore, Hueneme, Agoura and Santa Paula.
The Chargers will look to improve upon their 3-7 record a season ago and make a statement in the inaugural season for the league.
Ground and Pound Offense
Last season, Dos Pueblos’ senior quarterback Ryan Marsh went down with a season-ending injury earlier in the year. This forced the team to turn to a run-heavy offensive scheme.
In doing so, the Chargers leaned heavily on then-junior running back Kaleb Williams (5-9, 190), who responded to the workload. Williams was a member of the All-Channel League First Team, rushing for 843 yards and eight touchdowns.
Once again, Dos Pueblos will lean on Williams to handle the bulk of the carries in a run-focused offense.
“Kaleb will be a feature back, we’re really excited about what he offers us there,” Pateras said.
“Kaleb’s amazing, I know that sometimes if I whiff a block he’ll still be able to make a great play out of it,” senior lineman Danny Perez said.
While Williams will be the center of the offense, it’s a role that the senior is willing to take on in his final high school season after an offseason of preparation.
“This offseason I’ve focused more on prehab because last season I was feeling it pretty hard,” Williams said. “I want to make sure this season that after every game I feel my best, I don’t want to go into the next week feeling like I can’t run or can’t do this.
“I just want to make sure that every week I feel my best.”
Clearing the paths and opening up holes for Williams will be a strong offensive line unit that features Danny Perez (6-2, 240), Eder Soriano (5-9, 240), Damian Martinez (5-9, 225), Diego Rubio (6-4, 330) and Dylan Pizano (5-10, 225).
“Our offensive line coach says they are every bit of linemen, in all of the unique ways that kids are offensive linemen, so we’re really excited about that group,” Pateras said.
Opening Up the Passing Game
While this year’s team will feature a heavy emphasis on the rushing attack, Pateras and the Chargers will look to improve through the air for the 2024 season.
Last year, Gonzo Murillo (5-9, 150), who is now a junior, took over for Marsh in a role that he was not expected to play in.
“We didn’t produce enough in the passing game (last year) but in terms of going from Ryan and that leadership to the next guy who was not ready to be the guy, [Murillo] did a great job of managing our offense and we had a good running back system that supported that,” Pateras said.
While Murillo is still in a position to get some playing time at the quarterback position, the Chargers have welcomed a senior transfer from Carlsbad in quarterback Simon Alexander (5-11, 185).
While at Carlsbad High, Alexander served as the backup quarterback to Julian Sayin, who is now playing at Ohio State.
However, it is currently unknown when Alexander will take the field for the Chargers. He may need to sit out the first few weeks of the season due to CIF transfer rules.
Whether it’s Murillo or Alexander to start the season, Dos Pueblos is confident in seeing improvement under center.
“Pending all of the stuff that goes on behind the scenes with CIF, we’ll have two quarterbacks and both of them will lead our offense and we feel pretty confident with both,” Pateras said.
The quarterback will also have options to throw the ball to, as juniors Micah Barnhart (5-10, 180), Ivan Velez (5-10, 170) and Iyad Ahmed Reda (6-2, 220) headline a receiving corps that is looking to improve with another year at the varsity level.
“Ivan and Micah are probably two of the most dynamic players that we have, both of them will be big contributors in terms of the passing game,” Pateras said.
While this remains a run-heavy team, it is clear that the Chargers will look for more opportunities to move the ball down the field through the air in 2024.
“This year I think we’re going to run but when we throw it’s going to be a lot more lethal,” Williams said. “My linemen are looking great, quarterbacks are looking great, I’m just really excited.”
A Team United
This year’s senior class is the first that Pateras has had as head coach since they were freshmen, and Pateras has witnessed their development and chemistry grow over the years.
“We’ve got quite a bit of experience at the senior level,” Pateras said. “They’re friends, they hang out, there’s no cliques. These guys are hanging out, so there’s a good trust there and they’re building it every day.
“That’s where we’re going to be at our best, these guys can rely on each other. Those are things you can’t teach, those things have to come organically. I think that’s going to help us in terms of going through the ups and downs of the season.”
This can also be attributed to a growing number of student-athletes in the football program. According to Pateras, there are 119 players in the program and more lower-level games will be played this season.
“Our depth is going to allow us to develop kids more appropriately,” Pateras said. “In the last few years, numbers have been lower and we’re rushing kids to play.
“I think just the shift in our program growing and everybody being on the same page is really going to be the thing that sets us apart from the years past.”
The players, including senior linebacker and running back Zach Gesswein (5-8, 175), can also feel the sense of unity.
“I’m feeling really good about this season, we have a lot of guys that have been playing a really long time with each other, especially the seniors that have stuck through it,” Gesswein said. “I’ve seen this team grow a lot, I feel like we’ve just been closer as a whole team.”
With a strong team dynamic and a wide-open league landscape, Dos Pueblos will have a chance to take a leap in 2024 and compete for the Tri-County League title.
“I think that we have a lot of potential and coming into this new league there’s a lot that we can get done and a lot that we can prove,” Perez said. “Over the years we haven’t really been able to do a lot and I think that these new opportunities are going to make us have great success.”
Dos Pueblos Schedule
Friday, Aug. 23 @ Santa Ynez
Friday, Aug. 30 @ Royal
Friday, Sept. 6 @ Santa Barbara High
Friday, Sept. 13 vs. Viewpoint
Friday, Sept. 20 vs. Ventura
Friday, Oct. 4 @ Hueneme*
Thursday, Oct. 10 @ Agoura*
Friday, Oct. 18 vs. Santa Paula*
Friday, Oct. 25 vs. Fillmore*
Friday, Nov. 1 vs. San Marcos*
All games scheduled for 7 p.m.
* – Tri-County League game