After 474 days away, high school football is back in the TRAC.
All five CUSD high schools — Clovis North, Clovis East, Clovis West, Buchanan and Clovis High — will kick off the season this weekend, beginning with Clovis High’s matchup against the defending Division I-AA state champion Central High Grizzlies on Thursday, Mar. 18 at Lamonica Stadium.
The next day, Buchanan and Clovis West will play at Lamonica, while Clovis North hosts Clovis East at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
The TRAC schools will grow especially familiar with each other on the gridiron; they only play league opponents in the COVID-shortened, five-game spring season.
Add in the fact that there’s no Central Section playoffs and the stakes for the next five weeks are high.
Every contest will be played amidst unprecedented conditions, in front of socially distanced, family-only crowds. Each game will be significant. Every win or loss will double in meaning.
But when Clovis High and Central High take the field at Lamonica, every school in the TRAC will have already won. The season that coaches and players fought hard for has arrived.
Here’s a preview of all five CUSD high school football teams, a ranking of the five teams including Central, key players for each team, and new trends or playbooks to look out for.
TRAC Preseason rankings/predictions:
- Clovis (High-scoring Cougars win TRAC title)
- Buchanan (Senior leadership gives Bears a shot at title)
- Central (Defending state champs miss last year’s stars)
- Clovis West (Stout defense keeps Golden Eagles in contention)
- Clovis North (Loss of critical playmakers impacts Broncos)
- Clovis East (Shortened offseason limits T-Wolves’ new offense, defense)
Clovis High:
An exciting crop of juniors have grabbed attention at the corner of Fowler and Barstow Avenues.
For one, junior quarterback Nate Johnson caught the eyes of Jim Harbuagh. Johnson received a call from the Michigan head coach himself offering a football scholarship to play for the Wolverines.
Johnson’s current head coach, Rich Hammond, praised him in the preseason.
“I’ve been a head football coach for 17 years,” Hammond said. “I’ve coached two All-State guys. Nate is the most talented and the best quarterback I’ve had the opportunity to coach.”
Johnson is a dual-threat quarterback, tapping into the athleticism that placed him at wide receiver, punt returner and punter in his prior two seasons at Clovis High.
Johnson impressed scouts with his speed at an Elite 11 regional event in November, running a 4.45 40-yard dash time and leaping for a 36-inch vertical jump. When you factor in his improving accuracy as a passer, Johnson is primed for a five-game breakout before his senior season arrives in the fall.
Junior Tristan Risley had a breakout season in 2019 when he led the TRAC in rushing with over 1,300 yards. That was the most yardage by a Cougars running back in over 20 years. Risley runs with effort, cutting through blocks and keeping a focused mindset.
“I don’t see size. I don’t see anything different about the defenders,” Risley said. “I just see the end zone and I just want to get there. I don’t see anything else in the way.”
Junior wide receiver Nic Viau is also part of Clovis’ talented Class of 2022. Seniors Andrew Dowie and Isaac Garcia round out the wide receiver group, both of whom started last year. Four-year varsity tight end Parker Morgan will mix in some pass catching with blocking, carving out another key role on offense.
Clovis’ offensive line lost three seniors from a season ago, but returned two seniors, Donovan Le Fevre and Mateo Gorostiza. Like with other schools, the offensive line faced the most challenges in preparing for the season, given the stringent COVID-19 protocols that prevented contact until Mar. 2.
Clovis will miss 6-foot-5 defensive tackle Keanu Williams, who enrolled early into the University of Oregon in January. But they return the red-headed defensive lineman that teammates affectionately call, “Big Red.”
Ayden Merrihew will wreak havoc on offensive lines in his senior year. He is joined on the defensive front by returning starters Conner Price and Christian Smith.
There are five Cougars competing for two starting linebacker spots, making the middle of the defense the deepest for the team. Michael Greco returns to the starting cornerback spot, while a pair of junior safeties Cody Gale and Isaiah Salsedo will play a big role in the back end of the secondary.
Buchanan:
The Bears have big shoes to fill after losing a pair of stars to Division-I college football — running back Kendall Milton (Georgia) and defensive back C.J. Jones (Fresno State).
But the Bears don’t plan for a rebuilding year. They reload behind a senior running back with starting experience, a new quarterback and playmakers all over the defense.
Cade Uehling started three games in September last season when Kendall Milton missed time due to a quad injury. He showcased his big play ability with 73 and 75-yard touchdowns against Liberty in a Sept. 12 win. Buchanan now turns to him and senior Caden Rodgers as a one-two punch at running back and linebacker.
Uehling and Rodgers are not the only senior impact players on offense. Wide receiver Darrien Gaines is a 6-foot-1 vertical threat who can win contested jump balls. Stephen Shelley is a speedy receiver who picks up yards after the catch with his agility. Finally, center Zack Fish entered spring camp taller and stronger than head coach Matt Giordano remembered.
“When we first came back after our COVID break, I couldn’t even recognize him,” Giordano said. “I was like, where did this come from?”
Fish, Shelley and Gaines will lend their senior experience to new sophomore quarterback Jayden Mandal.
“I think our senior leadership has grown tremendously,” Uehling said. “The preseason has gone way better than I expected, to be honest.”
Uehling was also impressed with how Mandal adjusted to Buchanan after transferring from Clovis North.
“He’s new and we don’t run an offense like where he came from,” Uehling said. “He’s getting it and it’s going to take some time, but he’s taken big strides since he got here.”
Mandal, a two-sport athlete in baseball and football, already committed to Fresno State for baseball but will play in the spring football season.
Buchanan employs a plethora of versatile players. Senior Hayden Peterson will play at free safety and receive snaps at wide receiver, and junior Gavin Nelson will play at defensive end while starting at tight end. Josiah Ayon, the tall 6-foot-3 target at wide receiver, will line up at outside linebacker.
Logan Studt plays primarily at inside linebacker and is enjoying a breakout spring camp.
“He’s impressed a lot of coaches and he’s only a freshman,” Giordano said. “What I like about Logan is he has a nose for the football. He’s going to learn to make proper reads when games come, but when a guy loves to run to the football and isn’t afraid to get hit, you kind of get excited about that.”
Junior cornerback Robert Johnson is another spring camp standout that coaches are excited about, as well safety Camryn Bracha, who will occasionally play at the “Bear” position in certain Buchanan defensive schemes.
Clovis West:
Head coach Tim Randall led an inspiring turnaround effort for the Golden Eagles in 2019. Now he leads a senior-laden team with eyes on contending for a TRAC title.
Clovis West won its first two games in 2019 after going 2-8 in 2018. Then the Golden Eagles defeated Clovis North in their first round playoff matchup.
Randall will build off that improved season without two seniors who played a role in it, quarterback Bradley Senneway and Brandon Wafer.
But new sophomore quarterback Dayton Tafoya has looked like a worthy replacement in practice, with a smooth, quick release and an arm that allows him to throw downfield.
One of those targets waiting for him downfield is senior Isaiah Howard, who signed with Eastern Washington in December.
“[Howard] was overlooked a bit by FBS schools because there was no season in the fall,” Randall said. “He is somebody who wants to be great. He’s a quiet leader too. He leads by example.”
Howard is joined by a trio of senior wide receivers — Sagar Singh, Isaac Rodriguez and basketball/football player Preston Kilbert. The experienced wide receiver group is a strength of the offense — so is the offensive line, which returns center Nickolas Herrera who took every single snap of the 2019 season.
Right tackle Matthew Nolt finished a few less snaps than Herrera, but still started every game last season for the Golden Eagles. Left guard Sterling Williams will provide more experience on the line.
Running behind the offensive line is junior D’Ante Benjamin and senior David Ankama, both of whom will see playing time at running back. Each player offers different skills at the position — Benjamin is a bigger runner who runs through the gaps with power, while Ankama is described by Randall as “the fastest kid on campus” with a slashing running style on the perimeter.
Randall takes pride in the front 7 of his defense, especially with a 6-foot-3, 252-pound disruptor coming off the edge. San Jose State signee Marcel Sanders Jr. is on the short list for best pass rushers in the TRAC, and he’s joined on the defensive line by fellow seniors Nick Regalado and Derek Moreland.
Howard and Rodriguez will double up in the secondary to go with their receiver duties — Howard at cornerback and Rodriguez at safety. Marcel’s younger brothers, sophomore Markel and freshman Marshel, will also play cornerback.
For the elder Sanders, having the chance to play his senior season “is the best feeling ever.”
“You always want to play football, especially in your last year,” Sanders said. “This is what we do all the time. This is what we grew up playing, so it’s really exciting to get this last shot for your senior year.”
Clovis North:
The Clovis North Broncos are led by returning senior quarterback Garrett Jones, who burst onto the scene with a 5-TD performance in a comeback win over Ridgeview last season. Jones and then-senior Trenton Luera split the starting job in 2019, but the job is firmly Jones’ headed into the 2021 spring season.
Jones said he’s grown as a quarterback in the 15 months since he last saw game action.
“I’ve seen a lot more reads and [not just] understanding the playbook more myself, but also helping the team by making a play and getting to the next level where I can get to my checkdown or make the two or three yards on a run in a game situation,” Jones said.
Jones is not the only senior returning to the offensive unit; tackle Andrew Wiens and center Eric Cervantes head an offensive line bolstered by experience.
The Broncos will be without senior skill position players like Michael Jacot Jr., Elijah Teats and Brenden Casto, opening the door for Peyton Mathias to start at running back. The junior packs a quick first step with an ability to make defenders miss.
Head coach Michael Jacot expects big things from senior wide receiver Matt Arakelian, an excellent route runner with reliable hands. Arakelian and senior Devin McCoy have been coached by former NFL wide receiver Kevin Robinson. The pair will be Jones’ top targets.
“We’ve definitely lost a lot of talent, but I’m not sure if we’ve lost any hard work, because all of these sophomores and juniors are now getting their chance to prove themselves,” Arakelian said.
Arakelian and McCoy will play both sides of the ball, lining up at wide receiver and in the secondary. The back half of the Broncos’ defense is youthful, with only one senior starting at linebacker or secondary — Arakelian, who started at safety last season.
Coach Jacot is excited about his linebacker group — a trio of juniors who surprised him in a practice last season when they matched up well against the Broncos’ first team offense. Outside linebackers Baylee Hamm and Noah Reimer and inside linebacker Ryan Pyzer make up the middle of the Broncos’ 4-3 defense.
The defensive line returns experience, with Paul Sharp expected to be a difference-maker as an edge rusher on defense and H-back on offense.
The defensive unit was supposed to be coordinated by former UCLA and NFL cornerback Ricky Manning Jr., but he accepted a job with the New York Jets in January. Jacot brought Tanner Sneed aboard to run the defense, and the head coach lauded Sneed for bringing the unit together on short notice.
It will be Jacot’s second season as the Broncos’ head coach after stops at Buchanan and Clovis East as an assistant coach. His first year started 5-0 before ending 1-5, but led by their senior quarterback, the Clovis North Broncos are a motivated team that will utilize its physical linemen and new playmakers to give TRAC opponents a battle.
“Everybody’s getting in the shape of things,” Jones said after the team’s first practice. “Everyone was physical and excited to be out here and finally hit somebody.”
Clovis East:
The Clovis East Timberwolves return last season’s starting quarterback Sean Kelly and a bevy of returning starters on both sides of the ball.
But what’s most intriguing about Clovis East is what doesn’t return — its offense and defense.
Gone is the Wing-T offense that featured outgoing running backs Chandler Hamilton and A.J. Hodgerney. In comes the triple option offense that utilizes the speed of wings Coby Adams and Devin Lopez. Ryan Hak will see some action too, either as a wing or slot wide receiver.
Air Force signee Jacob Tafoya stands out in the backfield with his strong 6-foot-1 frame. He’ll play an important role not only as the Timberwolves’ starting running back, but as a senior leader along with Kelly.
“I think [Tafoya and Kelly] are critical for the confidence level going into the game,” said head coach Ryan Reynolds. “When you know you got a couple of guys who can do a lot for you and carry you in a lot of different ways, it’s a lot for the confidence of those guys.”
Not only is the flexbone formation new for the Timberwolves, but Reynolds opened up the passing attack with a new “trips” formation (short for triple, as in three wide receivers line up on one side of the ball). Kelly has improved as a passer since his junior season, inspiring the offense to utilize his arm more.
“Lifting weights a lot during the offseason definitely made me stronger,” Kelly said. “My arm strength has improved. I’ve been trying to work on my accuracy and making my release a lot quicker.”
Wide receiver Chris Gonzales possesses speed and a wide range of route running. He’s a downfield threat but can get open on short routes as well, making him Kelly’s top target.
Richard Garcia and Deone Braxton both started on the defensive line last year and they return in 2021. They’ll play in a new-look front for Clovis East’s defense, a 3-3-5 scheme reminiscent of the school’s early-2000s defenses. With so many athletes in the TRAC to defend, Reynolds added extra players in the secondary to take away the opponents’ space.
The defensive change found success in a game against Central last season. Reynolds is confident that it can be successful over the course of this season, but the lack of practice time made installing a new offense and defense challenging.
“We changed the whole way we were going to run practice, changed our offense, changed our defense, and now this whole COVID thing has messed us up because we haven’t been able to practice it,” Reynolds said.
Tafoya’s talents in the secondary will make the switch a little easier. Reynolds said Tafoya will play as a middle safety and pass rush on a few downs.
Tafoya will gladly do anything the coach tells him to. He’s grateful that he has a senior season to play.
“I’ve been so excited and happy every day,” Tafoya said. “I can’t wait to put the pads on for practice after school. It’s been a great thing for everybody, because they were kind of down and going through the motions.”
“As soon as we got the go-ahead, we turned it up and I think everyone is ready to go.”