As has been the case during most of his eight years as Denair’s football coach, it’s a numbers game for Anthony Armas. Rarely has he had more than 25 players on the roster, even during the magical 2018-19  season when the Coyotes shocked everyone by going 12-1 and winning the state Division VII championship.

Heading into Friday’s season opener against Modesto Christian, Armas counts 17 players on this year’s team. Given that football requires 11 players on both sides of the ball, that means Denair can’t even conduct a full 11-on-11 practice. Instead, the Coyotes rely on drills and individualized coaching.

“They get lots of reps because of the numbers,” Armas said of his players. “It’s kind of the hand we’ve been dealt. We’ve been there before.”

Armas certainly would like to have more players, but he doesn’t stress on it. This year’s squad features seven seniors, five juniors and five sophomores. He often tries to convince his players to recruit their friends to join the team.

“Other than that, there is no recipe,” he said. “It’s not just winning. Sometimes, it’s where their friends are.”

Last year’s team finished 2-4 in the Southern League and 2-6 overall, missing out on a couple of games because of COVID quarantine rules. The pandemic also forced Denair to consolidate the varsity and JV teams last fall.

“It hurt our development not having a JV team,” Armas admitted. “We do have a couple of transfers, plus a couple of kids who should be eligible after grades come out (for the first quarter), so our numbers should improve a little.”

Until then, the Coyotes will persevere with what they have. Armas describes his players as “resilient” and “close.” The Coyotes have had many chances to bond through off-season workouts, weight training, scrimmages against other schools and an annual trip in late June to one of their coach’s favorite places – Disneyland.

“They’re hard workers. They spend a lot of time together,” Armas said. “It’s a good team atmosphere.”

Armas expects five experienced players to lead Denair this fall. Three of them are seniors – lineman Chris Hernandez, fullback and linebacker Isaac Villa Martinez and running back and linebacker Anthony Pineda. The other two are juniors — quarterback and free safety Landen Borges and offensive lineman and linebacker Jordan Rubio.

Armas also has his eye on two newcomers – junior running back and defensive back Emanuel Renteria, who played soccer last year, and sophomore running back and linebacker Jayden Hensley. Both will help Denair executive its traditional Wing-T offense, which relies on misdirection and speed to be effective.

What are Armas’ expectations when the Coyotes kick off Friday night on the road against Modesto Christian (1-0)?

“I want to see them go out and execute,” he said. “Play fast and aggressive. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Not be afraid to let go. Know your assignments. If we go out and do what we do and they’re better than us, fine. If we make mistakes, that’s not good.”

The remaining preseason schedule includes a home game Sept. 2 against Riverbank and an intriguing away game on Sept. 10 at George Washington High School in San Francisco – a team Armas has tried to schedule twice before.

“They were double-booked (with games) in 2019 and last year we got quarantined,” he said. “Their field is one of the coolest places in the country to play high school football. The backdrop is the Golden Gate Bridge. I’m looking forward to it. We’re always trying to do something special with the kids and get them out of the area for games.”

On Sept. 16, the Southern League schedule begins with an away game at Ripon Christian. That’s followed by home games against Gustine (Sept. 23), Le Grand (Sept. 30) and Mariposa (Oct. 7), then at Delhi (Oct. 14), home vs. Orestimba (Oct. 21) and the regular-season finale at home against Waterford (Oct. 28).

This is one in a series of Q&A’s with teachers new to Denair Unified in 2022-23.

Family: Husband, Luis, and our daughter, Zoe

School: Denair Elementary Charter Academy

Subject taught: Transitional kindergarten

Education and experience: I received my bachelor’s degree from CSU Stanislaus. I am currently enrolled at Humphreys University; I am working on my credentials and master’s degree. At DECA, I have been a long-term substitute teacher in kindergarten and fourth-grade dual immersion as well as a bilingual paraeducator in the language lab.

What attracted you to Denair?  I love the Denair community and small-town feel. I attended school in Denair K-12 and have worked for the district since 2013 as a bilingual paraeducator. Denair is simply home.

What most inspires you about teaching? I know it sounds cliché, but my students inspire me the most. I  love the “ah-ha” moments that students have when they master a new skill or a new task. It motivates me to try my best for them.

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? I am looking forward to the challenge of transitioning from paraeducator to homeroom teacher. I have experience working with students in grades TK-5, yet there is a lot left to learn.

What is your favorite teaching tool or activity? I love to use GLAD strategies because I can incorporate all learning styles in my lessons.

What do you want your students to remember? I want my students to remember that I care about them. I will always foster a positive and safe learning environment. 

How can parents support what you do? I believe that it is important for parents and teachers to work together. Parents can support their children by encouraging active learning at home, making sure they arrive at school on time and keeping open lines of communication.

What would surprise people about your job? I think that people would be surprised by the amount of time that it takes to prepare for one school day. It is a lot of work, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What do you do for fun?  My family and I enjoy traveling. We take a big trip every summer. I also enjoy taking dance classes and reading.

This is one in a series of Q&A’s with employees new to Denair Unified in 2022-23.

Family: Lots of fur babies!

School: Denair Middle School

Subject taught: School counselor

Experience and education: I have worked in schools for the last 19 years in various positions throughout the different sites and district offices. I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s in curriculum and instruction, and received my master’s in school counseling in 2020 along with my Pupil Personnel Services Credential. 

What attracted you to Denair? I also came from a small town with a close-knit community. I know the difference it makes to have people that you know and trust be there for you and support you. I love the fact that I can connect and get to know the students and their families. I feel that it can help make the most impact when those connections are there. 

What most inspires you about counseling? I like the fact that I can help students realize what they are doing right and how they can improve on their weaknesses. Communication and understanding is key to knowing how to accomplish their goals. Many times, the fact that a student does not perform well in school may be because they are not aware of the impact it has on their future. 

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? I look forward to building connections with the students, staff and the community. Being new also brings the exciting challenge of learning all the ins and outs of daily life in this school, as every school is very different and has a different school community. 

What is your favorite counseling tool or activity? In my opinion, the most important and effective tool when it comes to working with students is gaining their trust and showing them that you care. Once the connection is established, students will know that what we are doing is for their good. 

What do you want your students to remember? I want students to remember that they are important, cared about and that they can accomplish what they set out to do. Letting them know that as long as they are doing their best, they can get far.

How can parents support what you do? Communication. Talking to the school and communicating big events in the child’s life will allow the school to be proactive and supportive. Additionally, talking to their students about school and seeing how they are feeling. If there is any frustration with a subject or situation, talking to the student can let us know how to help them most effectively.

What would surprise people about your job? How different it is every day!

What do you do for fun? I love to craft. I am currently very interested in cross stitch and crocheting. I have made soap, painted and drawn in the past as well. It all depends on what will satisfy that creative outlet. 

This is one in a series of Q&A’s with teachers new to Denair Unified in 2022-23.

School: Denair High School

Subject taught: Math

Experience and education: This is my first year as a teacher. 

What attracted you to Denair? I grew up in the Central Valley and I want to give back to the amazing

community that I grew up in.

What most inspires you about teaching? I love when students get that “Ah-ha!” moment when they’re

able to connect the ideas together and understand the concept.

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? I am not good at memorizing names, but I

am looking forward to meeting all of my students this year and getting to know them.

What is your favorite teaching tool or activity? My favorite teaching tool is Desmos. It is convenient and

really easy to use in the math classroom.

What do you want your students to remember? I would want my students to remember how to use

mathematics in their life outside of academia.

How can parents support what you do? Parents can support me by supporting their students.

What would surprise people about your job? The amount of time spent lesson planning would surprise

people.

What do you do for fun? I love to play puzzle games. Any games that require thinking or logic are

awesome.

This is one in a series of Q&A’s with employees new to Denair Unified in 2022-23.

Family: Married with two children (daughter going into first grade and son going into eighth grade). 

School: Denair Middle School

Subject taught: Spanish, Dual Language Immersion Spanish Arts, AVID

Experience and education: Graduated with bachelor’s degree and finished credential program, both at CSU Stanislaus. I have worked for the public school system since I graduated high school.  I have worked in a variety of classified positions in the Ceres Unified School District and completed my student teaching experience in Ceres at Cesar Chavez Junior High School. 

What attracted you to Denair? I have heard great things about Denair Unified. One that drove me here is that it is a small school district with great community participation. I love to hear that parents, administration and staff are involved in the success of DUSD students. 

What most inspires you about teaching? What inspired me to become a teacher was the love for my language, culture and community. I want to take part in helping students who want to learn a new language, and I want to keep pushing those who already speak it to polish it and become biliterate. Lastly, I want to inspire the younger generation and make a positive impact in their lives.

What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? I am looking forward to getting to know my students, building a relationship and a sense of community in my classes. I want students to feel like we are all learning together by engaging them in the learning process and giving them the tools they need to succeed.

What is your favorite teaching tool or activity? My favorite teaching tool is in class peer/group conversations. When in a language class, it is essential to practice the language with those learning alongside us. How I do this is by incorporating various activities to get students talking in the target language.

What do you want your students to remember? I want the students to remember that they are bright, capable and valued.

How can parents support what you do? I believe parents play a big role in their students’ education. The key is to keep an open line of communication and work together to help the students succeed. If this is in place, we are going to make big things happen.

What would surprise people about your job? Something that would surprise people about my job is that it is a lifelong learning experience. For me, too, teaching is learning. I have to keep up with new trends in the language and methods of teaching language acquisition. 

What do you do for fun? For fun, I do family time. My family is big (my parents, my siblings with their own individual families, too) and when we get together, you bet it is a party of laughter, music and food.