Thunder loaded with experience, ready to make title run in CCC.

Since Buhach Colony coach Kevin Navarra made the decision to pull up seven sophomores to the varsity level three years ago, the Thunder have been trending in the right direction.

That 2016 team was on the playoff bubble late in the season with a 5-5 record with many of the young players filling key roles.

The Thunder broke through last year, winning seven games and breaking a four-year playoff drought.

Those youngsters have grown into experienced seniors and are a big reason the Thunder enter this season as one of the favorites to win the new-look Central California Conference.

“I think anytime you have seven guys who are three-year varsity players, it’s also like have another coach on the field,” Navarra said. “Besides the experience, the leadership is invaluable.”

Kyle Beaudry, Brandon Ralls, Jon Buttrey, Noah Perez, Johnny Lunsford, Mason Reel and Artavian Robinson were the seven sophomores who were called up two years ago. Beaudry moved to Nevada last year and has since committed to UNLV over the summer.

The Thunder picked up two transfers last season who had varsity experience at Stone Ridge Christian in Trey Paster and Owen Thomas. Both Paster and Thomas should play key roles for BC this season after sitting out half of last year.

“After making the playoffs last year, it definitely makes us hungry to get it done this year,” Buttrey said. “I feel we could have done better in our playoff game. We want to go farther. All us returning guys know what it takes and we want to show the young guys.”

The biggest advantage for the Thunder may come up front where the Thunder return four starters on the offensive line in Lunsford, Perez, Tomas Sandoval and Tyler Green.

Buttrey and Thomas should handle the bulk of the inside running and the Thunder have some big-play threats running the fly with players like Paster and Youlas Dickson.

“I think our timing with the fly is right there,” Thomas said. “I feel like we have the perfect personnel for the fly offense.”

Paster is healthy coming into camp this fall after injuring his calf during the long jump competition at the CIF State Track & Field Championships in June. The injury sidelined Paster this summer, which kept him away from the camps and seven-on-seven competitions he had planned.

“I’m fully healthy now,” said Paster, who has scholarship offers from the University of Arizona and Nevada-Reno. “I was really made I had to miss everything this summer, but I had to rest. This junior year is a big year for me.”

Paster has also attracted interest from schools like Oklahoma and Pac-12 programs like Cal, UCLA and USC.

Paster, Dickson, Ralls, Owens combined with the entire starting defensive line returning gives the Thunder a formidable defense.

“The energy has been good from the first week of practice,” Buttrey said. “We’re super competitive. We’re all coming into the season with high expectations for this team.”

This story was originally published August 16, 2018 at 7:04 PM.