‘The kids deserve to play.’ Postseason ban lifted, Stone Ridge Christian ready to run
Stone Ridge Christian High School football coach Art DeJager has been coaching most of this senior group of players since they were in middle school.
The Knights come into the 2022 season trying to improve on a 5-5 finish last year.
“This group doesn’t have a lot of speed or athleticism that other teams have, but their determination and toughness ranks high,” DeJager said.
The Knights received good news this offseason when the second year of Stone Ridge Christian’s two-year postseason ban was lifted through mediation with the Sac-Joaquin Section.
Stone Ridge Christian was one of four section schools hit with a two-year playoff ban for their involvement in a club football league in the spring of 2020.
Stone Ridge Christian and Ripon Christian both had the second year of the postseason ban lifted this offseason through mediation with the Sac-Joaquin Section.
Neither school will be permitted to host a playoff game if they qualify for the postseason. All the other sanctions handed down by the section, including the football team being placed probation through 2024, remain in place.
“The kids deserve to play in the postseason if we’re able to make it,” DeJager said. “They’ve worked hard all through high school for this. They did nothing wrong.”
Senior Noah Lund says he’s happy to have the chance to play in the playoffs.
“I’m glad we can play in the playoffs because this is my last year,” Lund said. “We have a chance to show what we can do. We may be a small (Division VII) school, but we can make a big impact for the 209.”
The Knights return 10 seniors and 19 players from last year’s team.
Leading the way are Lund at quarterback and senior running Hector Esquivez.
Lund passed for 786 yards and five touchdowns last year to go along with 406 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.
“Noah brings a toughness and a deep love for football,” DeJager said. “He’s one of the kids I’ve been coaching since seventh grade. He doesn’t love doing anything as much as he loves playing football.”
Lund says he’ll find a way to dig deep when he’s tired late in games after playing on both sides of the ball.
“If I have to I’ll get down on a knee and say a little prayer,” Lund said. “I know I’m going to get tired playing outside linebacker and quarterback, but I can’t fail my teammates.”
Esquivez rushed for 838 yards and eight touchdowns, including five 100-yard games last year. The senior is expected to be the feature back for the Knights this season.
“Hector is going to have to carry the football on a lot of reps for us every game,” DeJager said. “He’s going to be the horse we’re going to ride. He’s a very talented running back. He’s not extremely fast, but he’s determined to move forward and he’s going to come down with one tackle.”
The Knights are changing their offense from the variation of the Wing-T they ran last year to running the Double-wing attack that Stone Ridge Christian ran when they won back-to-back Sac-Joaquin Section Division VII championships in 2014 and 2015 under DeJager.
The Knights want to get back to a power running game behind an offense line that features guard Michael Vander Woude, offensive tackle Aidan Beene, center Luke Brooks and tight end Max Friedman.
The Knights football team has benefited from the weight and speed training program developed by Stone Ridge Christian athletic director Marcello Martinelli, who previously worked as a strength and performance coach in the San Jose Sharks organization.
“That has been a huge benefit,” DeJager said. “Marcello is so professional. We’ve just turned the whole weight training program over to him. There’s nobody better that I know.”
2022 Schedule
Aug. 19 vs Waterford
Aug. 26 vs Justin Garza
Sept. 2 at Forrest Hill
Sept 10 vs Woodland Christian
Sept. 16 vs Vacaville Christian
Sept. 23 at Summerville
Sept. 30 @Ygnacio Valley
Oct. 14 vs Delta Charter
Oct. 21 at Big Valley
Oct. 28 at Millennium
