Denair High’s run in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 7 playoffs may have come to an end Friday with a 41-0 loss to top-seeded Calaveras, but the setback doesn’t take away from the impressive season turned in by head coach Anthony Armas’ football team.
The No. 5 Coyotes (9-3) reached the semifinal round and finished with nine victories for the third time since 2018.
“I’m very proud of this team,” said Armas, who is 53-59 in 11 seasons as Denair’s head coach. “It was a heck of a season.
Though the 2025 Coyotes fell short of the benchmarks established by the groundbreaking 2018 squad, they were able to accomplish something the state champions did not: winning a Southern League title. After a 24-23 overtime loss to Mariposa on Oct. 10, Denair persevered to gain a share of the conference banner with Mariposa and Stone Ridge Christian (Merced).
“That was very meaningful,” said Armas. “We’ve been chasing it for a while, and to be the first team to do it in 19 years means a lot. Last year, there was a two-way tie for the title, and this year there was a three-way tie, which goes to show how competitive the league is and how difficult it is to win that championship. It makes it that much more satisfying.”
The Coyotes’ explosive offense will lose 1,000-yard rusher Degan Butler to graduation, but quarterback Derek Potter, running backs Bryson Salazar (the team’s leading rusher) and Connor Hart, and top receiver Harlan Brown, will return to give the team a solid foundation in 2026. Additionally, two-way players John Wilmoth, Jude Moody, Victor Sarmiento, Noah Chavez, and Jose Mora will aid in the quest for back-to-back league crowns.
“We made it to the semifinals in a year when there were less playoff spots than in previous years, and the competition in our division may have been the toughest it’s been in some time,” Armas said of the D-7 bracket, which included 2024 state champ Summerville, as well as all three Southern League co-champs. “As a staff, we really enjoyed coaching these young men. This was a great group to be around.”
