Pacheco hoping experience, late-season progress leads to success this football season
Pacheco High School junior Abel Bravo says he’s never worked harder to get ready for a football season than he did the past nine months.
Bravo was in the weight room six days a week. Teammates Brandon De Reza and Adael Diaz were working out beside him almost every day.
“We started getting ready as soon as last season ended,” Bravo said. “We worked out all through summer. It was my most productive offseason ever. I’ve never been more ready for a season.”
Bravo expects to play a key role at running back and linebacker this season for the Panthers.
With 19 returning starters, who should be more familiar with the Panthers’ Shotgun Wing-T in the second year Pacheco has run the offense, the Panthers expect to hit the ground running this season.
“We’re ahead of where we were last year,” said Pacheco coach Jeremy Siemiller, who returns for a fourth season as head coach. “There should be less install this year and fine-tuning the offense.”
The Panthers felt the offense started to click in the final couple games last season. After scoring just 53 points in the first seven games, Pacheco scored 95 points in the final three games. They hope with almost everyone back the team can pick up where they left off.
“At the end of last season we were progressing,” Bravo said. “I think this year we can be better. We have almost everyone back on defense and we can be good on offense.”
The Panthers will be a heavy run team with Bravo carrying the load at running back. Bravo rushed for 259 yards and three touchdowns as a sophomore last year.
He played up at the varsity level as a freshman during the shortened COVID season two years ago.
“He’s going to be really nice,” Siemiller said. “He’s bulked up a lot. He’s part of a group of guys on our team that are gym rats. They love to be in there. It’s going to help us on defense.”
Bravo and De Reza will anchor the linebacker core on defense.
Offensively Siemiller likes the experience and talent he has up front on the offensive line led by senior Caden Hale.
“The linemen we have coming back are really good,” Siemiller said. “They have an understanding of what we’re trying to do in our offense with our running game and all the pulling we’re going to do.”
The players and coaches feel there is a confidence and excitement around the program entering the season.
“This is the first year I’m excited with what we’ve got going on since I’ve been here,” Siemiller said. “Toward the end of the season we were really getting things going. We had about 300 yards rushing in the Los Banos game. We had a great showing in the Beyer game. If we can carry that over I like where we’re at.”
2022 Schedule
Aug. 26 at Central Valley
Sept. 2 at Seaside
Sept. 9 at Tracy
Sept. 16 at Johansen
Sept. 23 vs Lathrop
Sept. 30 vs Grace Davis
Oct. 7 at Ceres
Oct. 14 at Mountain House
Oct. 21 vs Beyer
Oct. 28 vs Los Banos
This story was originally published August 12, 2022 at 4:58 AM.
