Southern League football preview: RC will defend first section title, Orestimba returns QB
In 2022, 14 Stanislaus District teams qualified for the playoffs. Five local teams won league championships, three won section titles and a pair played in the last football games of the season, taking home state championships. Now, every team’s record is the same, 0-0. Each team hopes to sit atop its league after 10 games, practice on Thanksgiving leading into a section championship game and eventually be crowned a state champion.
Over two weeks, The Bee is previewing each league heading into the new season. Coverage includes notes and information on each Stanislaus District team, coach quotes and a look at team practices.
Orestimba returned to the top of the Southern Athletic League standings for the first time since 2017 last season. The Warriors won 10 games and went 7-0, bringing back the feeling that coach Aaron Souza and the program experienced from 2015 to 2017. Ripon Christian made history last year, winning the program’s first section title. In total, six of the league’s eight teams made the playoffs in Divisions VI and VII. Orestimba, Ripon Christian, Le Grand, Mariposa County, Gustine and Delhi all enter 2023 with varying levels of experience but the same goals: win a league title and make the playoffs.
2022 SL Standings
Team (Overall record, League record)
Orestimba (10-2, 7-0)
Ripon Christian (11-3, 6-1)
Le Grand (9-3, 5-2)
Mariposa County (7-4, 4-3)
Waterford (3-7, 3-5)
Gustine (4-7, 2-5)
Delhi (4-7, 1-6)
Denair (2-8, 1-6)
Ripon Christian to defend first-ever section title
Trey Fasani and Griffin deAbreu were a nearly unstoppable tandem, combining for 737 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2022. When deAbreu was covered, Derek Vanelderen made plays. Defensively, Ethan McGovern manned the back line at safety, coming away with a team high three interceptions. Eli Terpsma, never one to shy away from a hit at linebacker, finished third on the team with 85 tackles. This season, the Division VII defending champion Ripon Christian Knights will be without last year’s stars, who all graduated.
“We lost some talent, but we have three really experienced guys coming back on the offensive line and we bring a lot of good seniors back.” said head coach Phil Grams.
Grams remains encouraged because the Knights still have some experience. The Knights’ entire defense minus last year’s safety returns, the backfield and flyback are back.
“The thing is how do we keep our 20 bodies healthy? If we stay healthy, I think we will be alright.”
Ripon Christian will likely get some extra firepower after Week 5 when senior Dustin Hoekstra is expected to return from off-season surgery. The linebacker, tight end and defensive end who led the team in tackles as a junior (113) had work done on his elbow.
Grams called on sophomore Mason Tameling to be the team’s next quarterback. In starting his first varsity season, Tameling will fill in the shoes of Trey Fasani, who showed leadership, understanding of the offense and passed for 2,030 yards and 33 touchdowns.
“We have what we feel is a young, promising quarterback playing for us, Mason Tameling,” Grams said. “He’s played varsity volleyball for us and been in a couple NorCal games, so we feel like he’s a gamer.”
In Grant Sonke, not only are the Knights bringing back their leading rusher (982 yards, 14 touchdowns), he also returns as the reigning Southern League Defensive Player of the Year. Brady Grondz has shined on the Sac-Joaquin Section’s biggest stage. He made arguably the biggest play of the game at defensive back in last year’s Division VII section title game, securing an interception to seal the game. He is also the flyback in the Knights’ fly offense.
“Brady Grondz, small in stature but giant in heart,” Grams said last November after the game. “He went up against the taller guy to get the pick and it felt like we were gonna get it done at that time. That’s what’s turned the whole thing around and we felt like the ballgame was ours.”
In his coaching career, Grams won section titles at Granite Bay and Capital Christian, but failed to repeat. If anyone knows how hard it is to win back-to-back titles, it’s him.
“I let the guys know it’s tough,” he said. “When you’re defending champs, everyone wants a piece of you. You’re going to get everyone’s best shot.”
SL Notes
Orestimba returns one of the best small-school quarterbacks
Alex Milan is one of the best returning small-school quarterbacks in the Stanislaus District. As a junior, he threw for 2,004 yards and 33 touchdowns with just three interceptions and flashed some athleticism with a pair of scores on the ground. With the help of Kai Brazil, who led the team in rushing yards and touchdowns two straight seasons, Milan and the Warriors returned to the top of the SL standings. They won all seven of their league games and won 10 games for the first time since 2017.
After a first-round bye, they advanced to the Division VI semifinals, where they lost to eventual section champion Hughson in a close contest.
Despite Milan’s return, it will be interesting to see if Orestimba is as offensively balanced as it has been in the past after Brazil’s graduation. In addition to Brazil, top two receivers Vince Lopez and James Perez graduated, along with nearly all of the starters on the offensive and defensive lines.
Juan Esquivez could likely match last season’s totals of 300 rushing yards and five touchdowns before the team even gets to league play, because his role is sure to increase. On the outside, Drew Felber and Nathan Archuleta likely will be a receiver duo to watch out for.
Waterford hoping for success with young team
Caleb Hilton, Eli Rutherford and Oscar Peral were all over the field last season as seniors for the Wildcats. This year, they will have to rely on younger talent to carry them through the season. Waterford has just one senior listed on its offensive and defensive lines and the only quarterback listed on its roster is a freshman.
They secured the program’s first nine-win season since 2012.
After going 10-2 overall and 6-1 in the Southern League in 2021, Waterford missed the playoffs with a 3-7 record last season. It finished as one of two SL teams that did not play in the postseason.
There were bright spots in 2022 on offense. In their three wins, the Wildcats averaged 48 points. Defensively, however, on the season they gave up an average of 39 points a game. Always a team to play hard, the Wildcats will look to bring back the feeling of that 2021 season.
