Denair High School’s football team kicked off the 2025 season with a convincing victory over Modesto Christian, scoring eight of its 10 touchdowns in the first half en route to a dominating 66-0 victory.

“Points have come at a premium the last few years,” said head coach Anthony Armas, who guided the Coyotes to the state’s Division 7-AA championship in 2018. “This year, we have kids who expect to score every time they touch the ball.” Friday night, they did precisely that.

Quarterback Derek Potter was 4-of-4 passing — with all four completions resulting in touchdowns — for 155 yards (38.8 yards per completion). 

Running back Bryson Salazar had four carries for 143 yards (35.8 yards per attempt) and two touchdowns, while Degan Butler carried the ball five times for 73 yards (14.6 per attempt) and one TD. Connor Hart finished with six totes for 63 yards (10.5 per attempt) and a pair of scores.

Receiver Harlan Brown caught two passes for 126 yards and two first-quarter touchdowns — one a 69-yarder to open the scoring, and the other a 57-yarder to make it 26-0 heading into the second stanza.

“I was just excited by the way we executed and the way we got after it,” said Armas, whose team was 6-6 with a playoff victory over Delta (Clarksburg) in 2024. “The first game is always exciting. You wonder how the team will react and, leading up to the game, I couldn’t tell if they weren’t taking it seriously or if they were just loose. Turns out, they were just loose. They were ready, and it was nice to see.”

Things will get tougher this week as the Coyotes head to Tuolumne to take on Summerville, the defending state champion in Division 6-A.

“That’s why we put them on the schedule,” said Armas, now in his 11th season as head coach. “They’ve been a pretty successful program, winning section and state titles last year. We got roughed up by them pretty good last season, but our JV team nearly came back and won their game, so we’re excited to see where we stand this year.”

Summerville lost to Ripon Christian, 35-21, in its opener last week.

The 2025-26 school year marks Carlos Mendoza’s fourth with Denair Unified School District, but his first as a teacher in his own classroom. He spent two years as a para-educator and another as a resident teacher. This year, he’ll be front and center.

“I was a little bit nervous to start the year, but that has gone away,” said Mendoza, a 2008 graduate of nearby Delhi High School, and the youngest of four children. “If anything, the nervousness changed into a rush. At the end of the first day, I felt very grateful, and very accomplished.”

Mendoza obtained a degree in psychology from Stanislaus State.

“I think it gives me a better understanding of the mind and of behaviors,” said Mendoza, who provided mental health support for high school students in Modesto before joining DUSD. “I hope to apply that in the classroom.”

Here are some other things you likely don’t know about one of DUSD’s newest teachers:

Family members – I don’t have a family of my own, but I am a proud uncle of four. Tony is 21; J.P. is 20; Ari, my niece, is 18; and Mateo is 14. My siblings are Veronica Davalos, Leo Mendoza, and Beto Mendoza.

Educational background – I received my bachelor’s in psychology from CSU Stanislaus, and I completed my Residency Credential Program through Teachers College of San Joaquin.

Subject/grades taught? – I’ll be teaching AVID, a class meant to prepare students to be successful in school and prepare them for whatever future path they wish to take – either college or career. I will be teaching students ranging from seventh through 12th grades, but most of my classes will be ninth-grade students.

What attracted you to Denair? – One of the main reasons I was attracted to Denair was the sense of belonging. Also, how welcoming the community is and the willingness to support one another.

What most inspires you about teaching? – Honestly, it’s providing students with the support they need to be successful on their own terms and, hopefully, making a positive impact in their lives.

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? – I’m used to working with students one-to-one and I’ve been able to build connections with them. So, I’m looking forward to building the same connections I did before, but this time with the whole classroom.

What is a favorite teaching tool or activity? – I’ve always enjoyed being able to “gamify” a lesson whenever possible. It makes the lesson much more engaging and enjoyable for both students and me.

What do you want your students to remember? – I would like for my students to remember that they will forever be students, because as they are growing up, they will continue to learn new things.

What can parents do to support you? – They can help by communicating with me and their students. Parents are always welcome to email or call me with any questions they may have.

What’s something that would surprise people about your job? – How rewarding it can be. Being able to make connections with students and create memories with them is very fulfilling.
What do you do for fun? – I enjoy spending time with family and friends. And when I can, I try to attend a concert or music festival.

Roxi Lagos is a self-described “nerd.” She loves making spreadsheets; she was excited about creating a snack menu for sporting events and dances last year; her pets are named after Naruto characters; and she’s looking forward to redoing her yard with drought-resistant plants. But make no mistake, this former corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps, can be plenty tough when she needs to be.

“I really see my role as, one that not only supports students, especially when it comes to behavior, but as support for the teachers because it’s the teachers that do the work,” said Lagos, who becomes the learning director at Denair Elementary Charter Academy this year. “I definitely like the new position, but I am dog tired. I have three kids, I’ve been a teacher, and I’ve been in the military. This is a different kind of tired.”

Here are a few other things you probably don’t know about Lagos:

Family members – Three children: Bunni is 18 and recently graduated from Denair High School; Isaac is 15 and a sophomore at DHS; Logan is 14 and is a freshman at DHS this year. I have three cats, Kiko, Goose, and Toji, and a black pug named Clover.

Educational background – I grew up and attended K-12 schools in Texas. As part of my service in the Marine Corps, I was stationed at Camp Pendleton near San Diego. After my service, I stayed home to raise my children and earned my bachelor’s degree and teaching credential at WGU. I am pursuing my master’s degree with Alliant International University.

Subject/grades taught – I began my career as an elementary school teacher before making the jump to middle school and teaching math. When I began teaching in Denair, I taught both seventh- and eighth-grade math. I also coached the academic pentathlon team at DMS for four years. Last year, I had the amazing opportunity to establish the Teacher Residency Program at DUSD and taught eighth-grade math 50 percent of my day. This year, I am excited to be moving into school administration as the learning director at Denair Elementary Charter Academy. I am hopeful that I can be supportive to the amazing teachers here so they can do what they do best: teach.

What attracted you to Denair? – I began my career in a very large school district. My students and I were just names and faces in a much larger pool of other names and faces. I came to Denair because I wanted to become part of a community where people would at least take the time to learn my name. I’ve stayed here and committed my career aspirations to Denair because of the people: the students, their families, and the extraordinary people with whom I get to work.

What most inspires you about teaching? – As an educator, I am most inspired by the impact I make on the world. Our students will go out into our great nation and to all corners of the world. When they do that, they reflect Denair. I want the world to see that we are small, but we are mighty, and that we contributed to this wonderful person with whom they’re interacting.

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? – This is a big question because I am new to my role and my school site this year. I am grateful that I have interacted with many of the teachers here, as they taught my boys and did such a great job. I hope that I can build a positive relationship with each of them and get to know their needs so that I can support them. Also, I get to inventory obsolete equipment, and I love making a spreadsheet!

What is your hope for your students? – I hope they never shrink themselves to fit in, especially if it means pretending to be less intelligent or articulate than they are. I hope that if they don’t fit in now, they hold on until they get the chance to experience the world and find their people.

What can parents do to support you? – When parents support me, they support their children. My core belief is in the potential of education to open doors and minds. I hope that families will assume a positive intent in all my actions, because everything I do is for the benefit of their children and our community.

What do you do for fun? – I am a bit of a nerd in that I truly love to learn, and I enjoy organizing and making sense information. I am always seeking to “beautify” things and I get a great deal of satisfaction from planning, conducting, and completing projects. I was excited to create a snack menu for sporting events and school dances for DMS last year. At home, I am waiting for it to get a bit cooler so my sons and I can redo our lawn. I am looking forward to establishing drought-tolerant plants that look beautiful and require less maintenance than traditional grass lawns. I also collect video games, consoles, and Amiibo. I enjoy cartoons, anime, and watch way too much YouTube.

One interesting, little-known fact about me is … In boot camp I was the “knowledge recruit” and was honored to be voted “Molly Marine” for my platoon.

For Kara Grace, Denair has always felt like home. Though she grew up in nearby Turlock, she attended church with her family in Denair, and her first job was at a pizza parlor in town. It seems natural, then, that her teaching career would lead her back to familiar surroundings.

“I’ve always had positive feelings about Denair,” said Grace, who owned her own photography business before deciding to pursue a career in education. “Everybody’s super friendly, and it’s a very community-focused environment in the sense that I can tell there’s a lot of parent involvement and a lot of compassion from the staff. I like the size of the school and the student-to-teacher ratio. It all seems like a good fit.”

Here are a few other things you probably didn’t know about Grace.

Family members – One middle-schooler, one high-schooler, one rescue cat, and one dog.

Educational background – I received my associate of arts degree in English at Modesto Junior College, following my high school education at Turlock High. At MJC, I acquired an education in child development, which supported my role as a pre-school teacher. I also took a photography class, and that segued into a decade of owning a successful photography business. Twenty years later, I enrolled at San Joaquin Delta College (Stockton) to acquire my license to work as a speech and language pathology assistant. I’m a lifelong learner and am so grateful for the adventures on which learning has taken me.

Subject/grades taught – I have taught preschool (4-5 year olds). 

What attracted you to Denair? – Denair is close to home in more ways than one. I grew up going to church next door to the district office, and the first job I ever had was working across the street at Pizza Plus. With friends in the district who’ve happily chosen this community for its quality and character, DUSD seems a perfect choice to reconnect with my roots while beginning this new chapter.

What most inspires you about teaching? – Being able to connect genuinely with students, especially those who may struggle in the school environment, is what continues to motivate me in this work. 

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? – As a first-year speech and language pathology assistant, I am looking forward to expanding my ability to offer holistic therapy to my students.

What is a favorite teaching tool or activity? – “Would You Rather?” is probably the best game that ever was created. I have no doubt a therapist invented that game to trick teenagers into talking.

What do you want your students to remember? 

“There is a voice inside of you

That whispers all day long,

I feel that this is right for me,

I know that this is wrong.

No teacher, preacher, parent, friend

Or wise man can decide

What’s right for you – just listen to

The voice that speaks inside.”

– Shel Silverstein

What can parents do to support you? – It seems like a small thing, but the benefits of sitting down each night and reading with your child is so important. If reading is a struggle, just looking at pictures together and making up a story, or letting your child tell the story, works just as well. These 15 minutes cultivate language development, a love for learning, and a sense of connection – all things that will improve your child’s success in and out of school.

What’s something that would surprise people about your job? – Speech and language pathology doesn’t just focus on speaking more fluently, it also addresses social skills and empowers children to feel more confident in themselves. 

What do you do for fun? –  My newest passion is car-camping. I built a temporary “camper” in my CR-V and took a trip to the coast this summer. Next summer, I plan to travel through the Pacific Northwest into Canada. I love having new experiences! Small towns and you-pick farms are my favorite finds when I’m traveling. I also love writing poetry and children’s books, taking photos, gardening, kayaking, and cooking.

One interesting, little-known fact about me is … I really enjoy using my creativity to make things I need or want out of things others likely would discard.

The Denair Unified School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to establish a five-person advisory committee that will recommend project-management options for the Measure Z modernization program. During a wide-ranging, two-hour meeting to kick off the 2025-26 school year, board members Ray Prock Jr., Billy Myers, Kathi Dunham-Filson, Andrea Bennett, and Jason De Muro took several minutes to ensure the language in the motion was precise. Ultimately, the board set a Sept. 11 deadline for the advisory committee to return with recommendations as to whether an individual project manager or a management firm should be hired. The advisory committee will be comprised of DUSD Superintendent Terry Metzger Ed.D., Chief Business Official Daisy Swearingen, Director of Facilities, Maintenance, Operations, and Transportation Mark Hodges, as well as Myers and De Muro — the two board members already seated on the Facilities Committee. Metzger pointed out that project management responsibilities have fallen largely on Swearingen and Hodges. “They’ve really been tasked with overseeing all the projects that are happening in the district,” Metzger said. “So, we researched the pros and cons of hiring a project manager vs. hiring a firm. We think that discussion really needs to happen with this advisory committee, and it may lead to an RFQP process or it may lead to bringing on someone in-house as project manager.” In other action items on Thursday, the board again voted unanimously to award course credits and establish a $30 stipend for the student board member position(s). Also, by a 5-0 vote, the board settled on Storer Transportation Services for its home-to-school and extracurricular transportation, and bus-fleet maintenance (effective July 1, 2025).

Items of note on the consent calendar, which was approved by a 5-0 vote, included:

• Ratification of payroll for June ($1,269,807.15 regular) and July ($875,127.37 accrual and $266,977.90 regular)
• Increasing the school nurse hourly rate from $45 to $65 per hour, beginning with this school year
• Applying for the Agriculture Incentive Grant to enhance DHS ag programs
• Approving a Memorandum of Understanding between DUSD and the city of Turlock’s Play Program, and outlining the after-school child-care program
• Approving a Memorandum of Understanding between DUSD and Pet Supplies Plus that will allow students to obtain work experience, job training, and on-site instruction
• Approval of the Foothill Horizons Outdoor Education Program — supported by naturalists to assist teachers — that will be attended by sixth-grade students April 14-17, 2026.

Earlier in the meeting, the board received an update from the school’s FFA department.

Roger Christianson, head of the agricultural department, talked about the program’s growth, and its performance at last month’s Stanislaus County Fair. “I looked back to when I started here – this is my sixth year – and we had seven exhibitors then,” said Christianson, who was joined for the presentation by fellow advisors Christian Obando and Melinda Rohn, and FFA members Kijhona Maciel, McKenzie Binkley, McKinley Binkley, Rin Rice, Addyson, Ramos, Brody Stallings, and 2025 Denair High School graduate ZAC Christianson. “This last year, we had 33 exhibits with 30 different exhibitors at the fair, so that’s how much we’ve grown over the past five years.” Another update presented to the board focused on the Coyote Closet, which provides clothing and household items for those in need.

Isela Arredondo, now a bilingual para-educator within DUSD, recounted how the Coyote Closet helped her family when as it dealt with a cancer diagnosis. “I had to be my husband’s caregiver 24/7, and my children’s ages at that time were 8, 3, and 1,” said Arredondo. “I will always convey to people that the Coyote Closet is a closet of answered prayers. Because of the closet, I was able to use our income for travel expenses for my husband’s treatment.” Prior to Thursday’s regular open meeting, the board met in closed session but reported no action. A special board meeting will be held on Aug. 28 at 5 p.m. (closed session to follow at 7). The next regular board meeting will be held Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. Both meetings will be in the leadership/board room, 3460 Lester Road, Denair.