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In our annual San Juan Capistrano high school football preview, we delve into everything you need to know about the upcoming football season. Click the links below to read the team-specific previews, scroll through the PDF version here for more photos and interviews.
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By all accounts, Capistrano Valley Christian enjoyed an overall successful season in 2022, going 8-1 during the regular season with impressive numbers, to boot.
However, the Eagles saw their campaign end earlier than they would’ve liked when they fell by nine points to Chino in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 11 playoffs. Now, after graduating Logan Kelly, a playmaker on both sides of the ball, and a versatile offensive threat in Hayden Carlson, it’s time for veteran leaders to solidify their impact.
Senior J.P. Synnott is one such player, who’s back for more after rushing for 868 yards and 14 scores last year.
He joins junior quarterback Nate Richie and senior defensive linemen Jack Gallo and Kelly Glover as those who are expected to carry the mantle for the Eagles as they look to venture further into the playoffs.
Synnott dove headfirst into bettering his body for the upcoming year, focusing on his nutrition and adding 20 pounds of muscle to his frame.
“I’ve definitely spent more time with our running backs coach (studying) blitz pick-up, because that’s something I struggled with last year,” he added.
Additionally, he’s had help from Carlson, now a baseball player at Indiana University, in improving his leadership skills.
In terms of other impact players, head coach Eric Preszler singled out his defensive line group as a strength.
The rotation includes Gallo, Glover and sophomore Benji Makelela, who arrived at CVCS having never played a snap of football before. Makelela now stands 6-foot-8 and 240 pounds, with potential to play at the NCAA Division 1 level, according to his coach.
Preszler also mentioned Richie, a third-year starter who has earned command of the offense.
“His talent, his ability to throw, his mechanics have been good since he was a freshman,” Preszler said. “But I think his understanding of what we’re doing and his level of physical and mental toughness has really grown.”
Beyond the standouts, many factors on the field remain to be determined, as is so often the case with small-school rosters.
Every team has its own culture and personality, according to Preszler, something he’s learned in two decades of coaching football and basketball.
He added the importance of coming together as a whole, a sentiment with which his players seem to be on the same page.
This year, the Eagles must avoid fatigue down the stretch, Preszler said, which can be a consequence of putting a roster of three dozen against significantly larger public schools.
“We’ve got to learn how to fight through that adversity and be able to overcome the fact that we’re not going to have as many guys on our team,” he said. “(We have to) work harder than everybody else does so that we’re in better shape when we have guys playing three ways.”
CVCS will look to start 2023 on the right foot on Thursday, Aug. 24, when it hosts Calvary Chapel at Saddleback College.
Preszler also highlighted the Sept. 30 matchup against league foe Linfield Christian, a competitive program that’s earned his respect. The Eagles edged the Lions last season, 29-26, in one of only three games on CVCS’ schedule that ended with a margin of victory of nine points or fewer.
That those close battles come so few and far between puts a premium on learning whatever lessons reviewing those games may present.
“It comes down to situational football, right?” said Preszler. “When you’re playing teams that are (of) similar abilities and levels as you, then you’ve got to execute in crucial moments.”
The Eagles kick off 2023 with three consecutive home games, including a renewed rivalry with St. Margaret’s on Friday, Sept. 1, at Saddleback College.
Schedule
Date Opponent Location, Time
8/24 Calvary Chapel Saddleback College, 7 p.m.
9/1 St. Margaret’s Saddleback College, 7 p.m.
9/7 El Segundo Saddleback College, 7 p.m.
9/15 Santa Rosa Academy Santa Rosa Academy, 7 p.m.
9/30 Linfield Christian* Linfield Christian, 7 p.m.
10/7 Western Christian* Saddleback College, 1 p.m.
10/13 Riverside Prep* Aliso Niguel HS, 7 p.m.
10/21 Trinity Classical* Valencia HS, 7 p.m.
10/26 Arrowhead Christian* San Gorgonio HS, 7 p.m.
*- Mesquite League game
