Cloverdale to host Berean Christian in opener on Aug. 25
Optimism and excitement are back in the varsity football camp this week, as the Eagles put in final prep work for the 2017 opener. Cloverdale will kick off the 2017 campaign in the friendly confines against visiting Berean Christian on Friday, Aug. 25. Start times for the JV and varsity are 5 and 7:30 p.m.
Second year head coach Chad Talley orchestrated a busy off-season that included regular weight and conditioning training and participation in a seven-on-seven passing league, and likes what he’s seeing from his charges so far.
“I’d say our guys have a more selfless attitude and a better team-first mentality overall,” Talley noted. “Our kids have been willing to put in the work and there’s been a better focus on task and assignment.”
The Eagles will field a varsity roster of about 25 players this season, a marked improvement in size and depth over the past couple of seasons.
Leading the Cloverdale offensive attack will be returning senior quarterback James Wirt, with versatile senior Eli Arreola listed as the back-up. Running backs include junior Shane Scalese, senior BJ Grady and junior Ceasar Buenrostro. The receiving corps consists of Arreola, senior Christian Chavez, senior Ross Sceales, senior tight end Mel Alonso, junior Jon Wesele and senior transfer Ben Paine.
Manning the trenches are junior offensive lineman Jesus Silva, senior Will Foley, junior Isaiah Holloman, sophomore Daniel Lopez, senior Brandon Nicholson and junior Luis Pesqueda.
On the defensive side, senior end Alex Segobiano will be a force to be reckoned with, along with a combination of Pesqueda, Silva, Lopez and senior Ray Sayago. Linebackers are Alonso and Scalese, with Chavez, Buenrostro, Grady, Paine and Arreola patrolling the defensive secondary.
The Eagles are a good bet to eclipse their overall record of 2-8 posted last year, thanks in large part to dedicated off-season work and a better familiarity with offensive and defensive schemes.
“We’ve made some changes on both sides of the ball, adding some things while taking out others,” Talley said. “The main thing is to put our players in a position to better utilize their skill set.”
