With seven returning starters on both offense and defense, Mira Costa’s football team feels it has the talent and experience to dethrone five-time Bay League champion Palos Verdes while making a serious run for a CIF championship.
“There are a lot of reasons to have high hopes because we have a ton of experience and some really exceptional players coming back,” Mira Costa head coach Don Morrow said. “We have some tough non-conference games that ought to prep us pretty well heading into Bay League.”
The Mustangs begin their 2016 campaign Friday with a 7 p.m. game at Torrance, a team trying to regroup after a disappointing 3-7 season and fifth-place finish in the Pioneer League.
Mira Costa is coming off a 10-3 season and an appearance in the CIF-Southern Section Western Division semifinals. The Mustangs are ranked No. 3 in the Division 6 preseason poll.
Mira Costa offensive coordinator Matt Baker has the luxury of an accomplished quarterback to run his system, which will feature a balanced attack.
David Arredondo (6-3, 235) returns after passing for 2,579 yards and 26 touchdowns with nine interceptions in 2015. He also ran the ball for 375 yards in a spread offense.
“Dave Arredondo is the first quarterback in the history of our school to ever become an All-CIF quarterback as a junior so we’ve never been in this position to have our starting quarterback come back after the type of outstanding season he had last year,” Morrow said. “We had always been a run-heavy offense, but have a lot more balance and versatility now.”
Arredondo will have an array of targets with eight wide receivers having varsity experience. Seniors Casey Bonner (6-0, 180) and Justin Goring (5-10, 175) are exceptional receivers who can also block and senior Andrei Bato is a scat-back-type of runner who will add diversity to the receiving corps. Senior tight end Alex Oshita (6-4, 205) will be a dual threat on offense.
Mira Costa plans to start the season in a running back-by-committee position that possibly will include junior nose guard Jonah Tavai (6-0, 270) who displayed his ability to carry the ball as a star on Mira Costa’s championship rugby team.
Senior tackle Wade Widmer (6-5, 260) will lead the offensive line, which also returns center Sam Blake and guard Ryan Ohanesian.
“James Rawls (6-2, 250) amd Romeo Galasso (6-5, 230) add more size, so we’re going to see where Romeo can potentially fit best,” Morrow said. “Ohanesian and Blake might not be the biggest prototypical linemen but they are just tremendous in the weight room.”
Mira Costa’s defense will be led by Tavai, who Morrow feels has unlimited potential.
“Jonah got double and triple-teamed a huge amount as a sophomore and handled it beautifully,” Morrow said. “He’ll be moved around a little more this season so opposing teams don’t know where he is going to be as much before the snap.”
Outside linebacker Jordan Fischer (5-10, 210) and middle linebacker Cody Kellenbach (6-3, 180) return while Blake Snyder and Brogan Tyrer compete at the other outside position.
Harrison Dulgarian and Justin Goring have been stellar at the Mustang’s “monster” position and Kevin Russell and Evanson Franck-Love also have experience.
Slater Lazar, Sean Walker and Jordan Lacey (a transfer from Redondo) will lead the secondary when the Mustangs travels to Zamperini Stadium to face the Tartars Friday night.
Torrance returns to a Shotgun Wing-T offense this season and will rely on running backs Ethan Meyers and Eric Suarez, along with returning quarterback Ryan Carroll.
Also returning are junior wide receiver Devin Nash, senior tight end Ryan Kirkwood, senior lineman Joshua Molina and junior lineman Tony DaCosta.
All-Pioneer League linebacker Ryan Kirkwood anchors the defense will help from lineman Shonnu Ba Thaung and defensive backs Nathan Gottlieb, Meyers and Suarez.
