A to Z: Guide to the upcoming high school football season

A: Atwater went in house to replace former coach Bob Valladao, who became an associate principal at the high school. Nelson Medeiros takes over after growing up in the Falcons’ program since graduating from Atwater in 2000.

B: Who’s going bowling? Last year, we saw two teams reach CIF bowl games in Stone Ridge Christian and Chowchilla. Both teams could be in the mix again. Will we see others? Hilmar fell short in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI title game last year, and Yellowjackets coach Frank Marques likes his team again.

C: Catch him if you can. Stone Ridge Christian linebacker Jonathan Collazo posted the fastest 40 times among linebackers at the San Jose State and Northern Arizona football camps this offseason. He’ll also be a load to bring down on offense.

D: The dean of high school football coaches in the area is Golden Valley’s Dennis Stubbs, who begins his 24th season as a head coach. Stubbs has compiled a 134-116-1 record in stops at Golden Valley, Los Banos and Le Grand.

E: El Capitan is moving to the Central California Conference. Ready or not, the Gauchos will join the rest of the Merced, Atwater and Turlock public schools after competing in the Western Athletic Conference the past two years.

F: Will we see a fourth consecutive Central California Conference championship by Merced? The Bears are loaded again.

G: One reason Merced is loaded is the return of Ulonzo Gilliam, part of a trio of running backs for the Bears with Paul Scoggins and Rayveon Slaton. Together, they combined for 1,579 yards and 18 touchdowns.

H: Hilmar expects to be in the hunt for a Trans-Valley League title with a number of returning players, including running backs Cody Rentfro and Joshua Lee Jennings.

I: Running back Carlos Iniguez could be a boost for Chowchilla. After rushing for 785 yards and 11 touchdowns last season for Le Grand, Iniguez transferred to Chowchilla. Iniguez spent his freshman year at Chowchilla High.

J: Jesse Flores and the Delhi Hawks are thinking Southern League championship. Flores rushed for 1,014 yards and 12 touchdowns last fall and then became the first wrestler in school history to medal at the state tournament.

K: He’s back. Keith Borges returns to Stone Ridge Christian after coaching the Knights from 2006-08. Borges takes over a program that has won back-to-back Division VII section titles and played in a NorCal Regional Bowl last season.

L: Lavon Wallace is a player to watch for Buhach Colony. The 6-foot-3, 175-pound defensive back was offered a scholarship by Fresno State this offseason.

M: Mascots were in the news last year after California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law banning California high schools from using Redskins as a mascot. Gustine High became the first of the four California high schools to change their mascot from Redskins. Gustine will be the Reds. Chowchilla High has yet to pick its new mascot.

N: The new turf at Pacheco’s Veterans Stadium should give the Panthers a great playing surface. The turf should be ready for Pacheco’s first home game Sept. 9.

O: Don’t forget about the offensive line. Merced has to replace five seniors from its offensive line. Stone Ridge Christian lost four starters off its dominant line. The O-line could be the difference between Golden Valley making the playoffs for the first time since 2006. The guys up front don’t grab headlines but often decide a team’s fate.

P: Dos Palos’ strategy will be simple: Pound the ball! The Broncos went back to their roots last year with a smash-mouth style of play. It worked as Dos Palos went 5-0 in the West Sierra League.

Q: Merced County is loaded with quarterbacks. Look for big seasons from Jake Foss (Merced), Armando Muzquiz (Golden Valley), Beto Marquez (Le Grand), Chase Whitaker (El Capitan) and Chase Kindberg (Hilmar).

R: Rivalries bring games to a whole new level, and Merced County is filled with great ones with great names to go along with them. We have the Battle for the Mayor’s Cup, the Bloss Bowl, Crosstown Clash, Santa Fe Bowl, Westside War and the Green and Gold Bowl.

S: Speed shouldn’t be an issue for the Golden Valley secondary with track stars Shawn Betencourt and Alexander Salas joining the speedy Isaiah Montanez.

T: Kicker Joseph Lema hopes to use his tee often for El Capitan. Lema is participating in a fundraiser where he raises money for cancer research with each extra point and field goal he makes.

U: The understudy takes over in Hilmar. Last year, Chase Kindberg backed up quarterback Daniel Teixeira, who led the Yellowjackets to a section title game appearance. This year, it’s Kindberg’s turn, and he gives Hilmar another run-pass option.

V: Chowchilla celebrated its first Valley championship since 2008. One highlight of the season was watching the town support its team during their postseason run, filling Henry Massaro Stadium a few hours before kickoff of the Southern California Division IV-A Regional Bowl Game and State Championship.

W: Watch for the Shawn and Sean Show each week at Mercedsunstar.com, as Sun-Star reporter Sean Lynch and myself break down the matchups and talk to players and coaches.

X: Lets hope for a season with far fewer X-rays and MRIs. We want to see healthy seasons for players like Stone Ridge Christian’s Shane Casillas, Golden Valley’s Montanez and Merced’s Gilliam.

Y: Youth will be a big part of the Buhach Colony roster with as many as seven sophomores possibly playing varsity for the Thunder.

Z: Defenders can’t afford to catch their zzzzzs on Le Grand’s Rigoberto Mares. The senior is one of the top returning receivers after catching 48 passes for 651 yards and eight touchdowns.

This story was originally published August 25, 2016 at 12:31 PM with the headline "A to Z: Guide to the upcoming high school football season."