Anthony Armas has had a love affair with Disneyland most of his life, which is why before every football season (except for the COVID-influenced years of 2020, 2021 and 2022) he has arranged for his Denair High players and coaches to visit the theme park together.
This year, 23 of Armas’ 27 players accompanied him to Disneyland in mid-July. They spent parts of two days traveling and two full days in the park.
“Football is a tough sport,” he explained. “It’s just a team-bonding experience and a chance to get out and have some fun. The kids enjoy it.”
Unfortunately, the magical memories generated from the self-proclaimed “Happiest Place on Earth” haven’t translated to success on the football field recently.
Since winning the state Division VII championship in 2019, the Denair program has fallen on hard times. In the past four seasons, the Coyotes are a combined 6-26. Denair didn’t lack talent; it lacked bodies. The past two years, Armas started with fewer than 20 players and watched as injuries inevitably thinned his roster even more. It wasn’t unusual for Denair to have more assistant coaches than reserve players on the sidelines in many games.
But this season – which kicks off Saturday night at Big Valley Christian in Modesto — is starting out differently. The Coyotes have 27 players – enough so the team can actually practice 11-on-11 for the first time in many years. There is actual depth, meaning Armas can rest players during games.
“It’s nice to have a first string and second string,” he said. “It means we can rotate guys. We’re finally getting through that COVID stuff. It really nuked our numbers.”
Still, the Coyotes will be young. There are 10 seniors, 15 juniors and two sophomores on the team.
One of those sophomores is quarterback Derek Potter, a left-hander “with a strong arm and good touch,” according to Armas. “He’s the kind of kid you like to coach.”
Potter will be joined in the backfield in Denair’s run-heavy Wing-T offense by backs Jesse Ruelas (a senior) and juniors Degan Butler and Alex Vargas. Opening holes for that group and protecting Potter will be senior right guard Even Coronel, right tackle Eduardo Zacharias and tight end Ernesto Silva, a junior who played last year as a sophomore.
Armas said the offense “didn’t miss any assignments” at last week’s four-way scrimmage with Riverbank, Franklin, Stone Ridge Christian in Riverbank, but he was most excited about his young defense.
“I thought we did well,” he said. “I’ll always say we need to get better, but our defensive line looked really good and our defense didn’t give up a score the entire night.”
Armas said the Coyotes’ defensive leaders include linemen Brody McFarland (a junior), Jose Mora (a sophomore) and Coronel as well as junior middle linebacker Degan Butler and junior safety Sebastian Esquivel.
The Coyotes’ schedule features four non-league games – this week at Big Valley, then home against Summerville on Aug. 30, at Bret Harte the following week and home against Pajaro Valley of Watsonville on Sept. 13.
The revamped Southern League opens play on Sept. 20 with Denair on the road against the newest SL member – Stone Ridge Christian of Merced.
The Knights join SL holdovers Gustine, Mariposa, Waterford, Delhi and Le Grand on Denair’s schedule. Gone this year to the Trans-Valley League are Orestimba and Ripon Christian.
“Orestimba and RC were too big; they outgrew us,” said Armas. “As far as the rest of us, I really think everyone has a chance. It’s kind of even across the board. … We’re excited about the season.”
