The Anzar High football team enters it fourth year of existence as a program on the rise.
In 2013, the Hawks recorded their first winning season by finishing 5-4 overall, 3-4 in the 8-man Mission Trail standings. This season Anzar expects to be one of the handful of teams involved in winning the league championship.
“We’re hoping our last game of the year (on Nov. 7 against Trinity Christian) is for the league championship,” said Luis Espinoza, who has been the Anzar coach since the program’s inception. “I’m more optimistic now than I was when last season ended.”
Two big reasons for Espinoza’s rosy outlook centers around twins Izaac and Izaiah Ornelas, who was a freshman when Anzar launched its football program. Izaac plays fullback and linebacker, while Izaiah plays offensive guard and defensive tackle.
The twins are basically the same size—Izaac is 5-foot-8 and 200 pounds while Izaiah is 5-9, 205—and they’ll play a pivotal role since the team plans on placing a heavier emphasis on the run compared to years past.
“I’m pretty excited that I’ll be able to run behind my brother,” Izaac said. “He’ll get our running game where it needs to go.”
Indeed, Izaiah is one of three returners on a beefed-up offensive line, which includes 5-9, 220-pound sophomore center Cody Fisher and newcomer Austin Io, a 5-8, 185-pound sophomore.
Espinoza expects the line to open up nice running lanes for tailback Marcos Galvan, who led the team last year with 741 yards on 103 carries, including a team-best 10 touchdowns.
Only 5-5 and 135 pounds, Galvan runs much bigger than his size—“Marcos rarely goes down on the first tackle,” Izaac said—but Galvan’s biggest attribute is his ability to read the blocks and elude would-be tacklers.
The Hawks also return standout tight end-defensive end Victor Flores, who is the squad’s best receiving threat. The question is, will Anzar be able to get the ball to its biggest weapon?
Sophomore quarterback Dave Conrath had never played the position before this summer, and Espinoza expects his signal-caller to be the ultimate game manager.
“We want Dave to learn the offense, sit back and watch the show,” Espinoza said. “We went to a passing tournament in the summer, and Dave did some good things, but also showed he needs to work on certain things as well. He’s a smart kid and once he gets some experience, he’ll be an even bigger weapon.”
Anzar returns a number of standouts, including fullback-linebacker Angel Jimenez, fullback-defensive end Andrew Huaracha, linebacker-tight end Joseph Banuelos and defensive lineman Matt Yarbrough, who is the team’s heaviest player at 265 pounds on a 5-10 frame.
“I hope teams run in Matt’s direction,” Espinoza said. “He can blow up a team’s run game with the havoc he creates.”
If the Hawks have their way, they’ll be bullying defenses with a punishing rushing game. Besides Galvan, expect Anzar to give the ball to Jimenez and Izaac Ornleas in jumbo set run formations.
In those times, the Hawks are basically saying to the competition that they’re going to have success running the ball even if the entire defense is near the line of scrimmage.
The Hawks feel their time is now. They’re ready to compete with the traditional heavyweights of the 8-man league, including the likes of Pinewood. Izaiah Ornelas said it would be ideal if the team could beat Pinewood.
“I remember in my freshman year when we played Pinewood, and it was ugly,” he said. “Two of our QBs got injured, they had no respect for us and they were cocky—every single one of them. “
Like most twins, Izaac and Izaiah spend a lot of time together. They finish each other’s sentences and even their voices have a similar tone to them. More importantly, the twins take care of business in the classroom—Izaiah carried a 4.0 GPA last year and Izaiah a 3.8—which might make more of an impact than their on-field contributions since Anzar had several players miss games last year due to grades.
“We’re going to try to help our teammates in school and make them accountable, so we won’t have the ineligibility issues we had last year,” Izaac said.
ANZAR VITALS
Last year’s record: 5-4 overall, 3-4 Mission Trail 8-man league
Top returners: Marcos Galvan, jr., RB; Victor Flores, sr., TE/DE; Izaiah Ornelas, sr., LG/DT; Angel Jimenez, jr., FB/LB; Andrew Huaracha, jr., FB/DE; Cody Fisher, soph., C/DL; Matt Yarbrough, sr., DT/OG; Izaac Ornelas, sr., FB/LB.
Key newcomers: Dave Conrath, soph., QB/DB; Austin Io, soph., DE/OL.
Coach Luis Espinoza’s comment: “I’m more optimistic now than when last season ended. … Our guys are bigger, stronger and faster, and good things usually come out of hard work.”
Big game: The season-finale against Trinity Christian on Nov. 7. Last year, the Hawks dropped a 36-0 decision to the private school from Monterey, but they were without three of their best players. This year’s game could decide the league championship.
Analysis: Under Espinoza, Anzar has developed into a bona-fide program. The question is, can the Hawks take the next step and elevate themselves into the league’s elite alongside perennial stalwarts Woodside Priory, Trinity Christian and Pinewood? If numbers are any indication, the answer is yes.
Anzar has 30 players on its roster, 10 more than it had a year ago. The Hawks should have no problems running the ball; however, will they be able to muster an effective passing game when teams stack the line of scrimmage?
And has their pass defense—susceptible to big plays a year ago—improved enough to at least slow teams down in the pass-happy Mission Trail 8-man league? If Anzar can answer those questions in the affirmative, it will have a historic season.
2014 ANZAR REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
Note: All home game are played at Anzar
Sept. 12 at Fresno Christian, 7 p.m.
Sept. 19 vs. Alma Heights Christian, 7 p.m.
Sept. 26 vs. Pinewood, 7 p.m.
Oct. 3 vs. Kings Christian, 7 p.m.
Oct. 10 at Woodside Priory, 3 p.m.
Oct. 17 vs. Stuart Hall, 7 p.m.
Oct. 24 vs. North Valley Baptist at San Jose City College, 7 p.m.
Nov. 1 at Crystal Springs Uplands, 1 p.m.
Nov. 7 vs. Trinity Christian, 7 p.m.
