It wasn’t pretty, but Denair High’s varsity football team found a way to win its homecoming game Friday night, downing Gustine 23-16 in a tougher-than-expected contest. “It was a tough victory,” said Coyotes head coach Anthony Armas. “Gustine came out running an offense they had not run all year. They also ran down the clock on every possession. It really limited the number of offensive plays we had.” Despite carrying the ball only nine times, junior running back John Wilmoth totaled 105 yards and one touchdown, while senior Connor Hart had 37 yards and two TDs on 14 attempts. Senior receiver Harlan Brown caught one pass for 42 yards. He also converted on two of three extra-point attempts in addition to booting a 21-yard field goal. Denair never trailed in the game but could never shake the stubborn Reds. After a scoreless first stanza, Hart scored the first of his two TDs in the second quarter to make it 7-0. Brown’s FG extended the lead to 10-0 in the third quarter, but Gustine got back into the game with a touchdown and two-point conversion to make it 10-8. Hart’s second TD widened the lead to 17-8, but another TD and two-pointer by the Reds made it 17-16. Wilmoth’s 28-yard TD scamper produced the final margin. “Gustine was really aggressive,” said Armas. “It was an ugly win, but a win nonetheless, and definitely something we’ll use as a teaching tool for our players.” The Coyotes are now 4-1 for the season and 2-0 in the Southern League, while Gustine drops to 0-5. Denair will travel Friday to take on Le Grand (3-2, 2-0), a 55-34 winner over Waterford last week.
The early days of October will be humming with activity for Denair Unified School District. On Friday, Oct. 2, Denair High’s varsity football team will play host to Gustine in its annual homecoming game at Jack W. Lytton Stadium. The Coyotes are 3-1 and coming off a key 28-14 victory over Stone Ridge Christian in the Southern League opener. Gustine (0-4) fell 50-6 in its conference opener last week in Mariposa. “Homecoming is always a special time around campus and in the community,” said DHS Principal Breanne Aguiar. “And with the early success of our football team, there’s a real buzz surrounding Friday night’s lineup.” A homecoming rally will be held in the DHS gymnasium on Friday at 11:15 a.m.., followed by the traditional homecoming parade through town at 12:15 p.m. The football game is slated to kick off at 7:15. Next week, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at Denair Elementary Charter Academy on Thursday, Oct. 8, from 5 to 6 p.m., to commemorate the opening of the multipurpose gymnasium. The event is open to the public and lemonade and cookies will be served. “We can’t wait to show off this space,” said DUSD Superintendent Terry Metzger, Ed.D. “Many community members attended school here in Denair. I think they will be surprised to see how we turned the old boys’ and girls’ locker rooms into a beautiful new kitchen. The original gym floor has been refinished and looks amazing!” On Saturday, Oct. 10, the 10 th annual Denair FFA Truck and Tractor Pull will be held at Lytton Stadium.
Sanctioned by the Valley Tractor Pullers Association, registration and scales will be held from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (scales close at 2), and the pulling starts at 4 p.m. There will be paid purses for the Country Mod and 8,000-pound Limited Pro Stock divisions. So, whether you’re hooking to the sled or coming out to watch, get ready for an afternoon of horsepower, dirt, and pulling.
Denair High’s football team gets a lot of notoriety for its high-powered, multiple-threat offense. News flash! The Coyotes’ defense is pretty good, too. Harlan Brown returned an interception 82 yards for a score to break open a close game, and Noah Chavez picked off a pass to seal Denair’s 28-14 win over Stone Ridge Christian in the Southern League opener for both squads Friday night.
The Knights (2-2) entered the contest averaging 34 points per game but were held well below that standard by the Coyotes’ stingy defense. Stone Ridge was driving for a potential game-tying score when Brown’s interception return – and his PAT – made it 28-14 in the fourth quarter. Chavez’s interception came with 1:06 left to play in the game, allowing Denair to take run out the clock.
“Our defense really stood out,” said DHS head coach Anthony Armas “To hold them to 14 points was a huge deal. Coach (Scott) Taylor, our defensive coordinator, and our defensive staff did a great job preparing our guys for this game. It was quite fitting that our defense put the game away with a pick-six and another interception.”
Victor Sarmiento contributed to the effort with three sacks of the Knights’ quarterback. “This was an exciting game, and both teams really battled,” said Armas. “We were really proud of the way our young men played. We executed very well on both sides of the ball.
”Stone Ridge Christian, along with Mariposa, finished in a three-way tie with Denair for the conference title in 2025. The Grizzlies, like the Coyotes, are 3-1 overall this season and 1-0 in league play after a 50-6 win over Gustine. Currently, the Grizzlies are fourth in the MaxPreps Sac-Joaquin Section Division 7 ratings, while the Coyotes are No. 5.
Denair will see action again Friday night when it plays host to Gustine in its homecoming game. Kickoff is slated for 7:15 at Jack Lytton Stadium.
Born in Los Angeles, Adilene Villegas grew up in Central California and attended nearby Livingston High School. Before coming to Denair last month to replace the departing Jasmin Baltazar, who is pursuing an independent business opportunity, Villegas worked in education in several different roles, including as a school registrar and most recently as a school office administrator. “Coming in after the school year has already started has definitely been a learning experience,” said Villegas. “It means jumping right in and learning as I go. But everyone has been very welcoming and helpful. I’m enjoying getting to know the district, learning my new role, and finding ways that I can support our staff, students, families, and community. I’m excited for the year ahead.” Here are few other things you should know about Denair’s newest staff member. Family members: My husband and I have three daughters. We are a very close-knit family, and they are my biggest motivation. Educational background: I earned my associate’s degree in psychology from Merced College and my bachelor’s degree in psychology from Stanislaus State. I look forward to continuing my education in the field of education. New position: Executive assistant to the superintendent. What attracted you to Denair? I was drawn to Denair because it’s a small, close-knit community. I love being part of a district where relationships matter and where you have the opportunity to really get to know the students, families, and staff.
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What most inspires you about working in the educational field? Knowing that the work we do can make a difference in a student’s life. Even when you aren’t working directly in the classroom, there are so many ways to support students and families and help create an environment where they can succeed. What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? Learning all the different aspects of my new role and becoming a strong resource for our superintendent, staff, families, and community. There is a lot to learn, but I’m excited to grow into the position. What would you like students to remember about you? That I was kind, approachable, and someone who genuinely cared about them and wanted to see them succeed. What can parents do to support you? Stay connected, communicate, and continue being involved in our schools. I believe strong relationships between families and schools make such a difference for students. What’s something that would surprise people about your job? How many different things happen behind the scenes! From board meetings and district communications to calendars, events, projects, and supporting different departments, every day can look completely different. What do you do for fun? I love spending time with my family, traveling and planning family trips, watching K-dramas, and enjoying anything Disney. One little-known fact about me is … I’m always looking for ways to keep learning and growing, both personally and professionally.
Denair High’s varsity football team lost for the first time this season, falling to Amador 28-20 in the Coyotes’ final non-conference football game.
“Amador is a pretty physical team,” said DHS head coach Anthony Armas. “We were missing four starters this week, and our young men really rallied the troops. We really took on a ‘next-man-up’ mentality and played well.
“Even with the loss, I think we improved as a team. We scheduled Amador because we wanted to face a school that is bigger and one that plays a more physical brand of football. We believe that makes us better for league play and, hopefully, for a playoff run.”
Denair fell behind 7-0 in the first quarter but quickly tied the score on Connor Hart’s 24-yard scoring jaunt, then took a 14-7 lead in the second quarter after Noah Chavez capped a 92-yard drive with his 6-yard touchdown run.
The Coyotes fumbled the kickoff to start the second half, and the Buffaloes capitalized for a 21-14 advantage. Amador stretched the lead to 28-14 in the fourth quarter before Denair cut the margin to 28-20 on Chavez’s 86-yard TD run.
Individually for the Coyotes, Chavez carried the ball 11 times for 140 yards and two scores, while Hart amassed 125 yards and one TD on 16 carries. Quarterback Derek Potter completed 7 of 15 tosses for 134 yards, with three of those completions going to Harlan Brown (80 yards).
“Amador came out running the option (offense), which they didn’t do last year,” said Armas. “There are still some things we need to work on, as we do every season at this time of year, but we were really pleased with the effort of our team Friday night.”
After a bye this week, the Coyotes will open Southern League play on Sept. 25 in Atwater against Stone Ridge Christian (2-1), which tied with Denair and Mariposa for the SL crown last season.
The Knights, after a 23-22 road loss to Pacheco (Los Banos) to start the season, have notched wins against Yosemite (44-40) and 2024 state champ Summerville (35-27).
