Returning all-conference players, talented newcomers lift Eagles in gridiron opener

It was close in the first half, then the 2025 Eagle football team scored 21 unanswered third-quarter points on the way to a 49-16 season-opening victory over Gavilan Saturday in Gilroy.

With more players than last year, more sophomores, more returning all-conference players, more big linemen and more depth at several positions, these Eagles were soaring on opening day – even though the offense did most of its work on the ground.

A 14-3 lead expanded quickly in the second half, and Siskiyous ended the day with 498 yards of total offense, 395 rushing yards, and 7 touchdowns. Four Eagles had 60 rushing yards or more, while quarterbacks Brayden Schiefer and Kyle Dixon combined for more rushing yards (112) than passing yards (103).

The Eagle offense averaged 7.6 yards per carry on 52 rushing attempts, 22 of them good for first downs. The defense held Gavilan to 273 total yards.

Freshman running back Morgan De Lago and sophomore running back Bryson McFall, one of seven returning 1st Team All-Conference players, both ran for 2 touchdowns. The quarterbacks both ran for TDs, and Dixon, a redshirt freshman, completed a 14-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Rafael Bauman.

Returning all-conference players Cody Huntsinger and Zaveon Jones led the defense, which allowed just 97 passing yards and 12 total first downs. Huntsinger, a linebacker, had 8 total tackles; defensive lineman Jones had 3 solo tackles and 3 assists. Defensive back Aidan Nelson, a redshirt freshman, had 3 tackles and a pass interception that he returned 20 yards.

De Lago carried 13 times for 83 yards, and Schiefer had 2 carries for 72 yards and completed 6 of his 9 pass attempts for 82 yards with an interception. One of his runs went for 61 yards.

Another freshman running back, Jamar Thurman, had 9 carries for 65 yards, McFall gained 60 yards on 10 carries, Dixon had a 43 yard run, freshman running back Ryan Lemly had 6 carries for 38 yards, freshman fullback Mason Iverson had 5 carries for 23 yards, and Zaveon Jones 3 for 18.

Returning all-conference wide receiver David Wacenske had 3 catches for 45 yards, sophomore tight end Parker Ziebert 2 for 21, freshman wide receiver Asher Lucas 1 for 14, and freshman wide receiver Ajani Ingram 1 for 9 yards.

Freshman kicker Kyler Theis was a perfect 7 for 7 on extra point attempts.

Up next for the Eagles is their home opener against Merced this Saturday, Sept. 6, starting at 1 p.m. Merced lost its opening game 52-16 at home Saturday to one of the Eagles' Pac 7 foes, Los Medanos.

ROSTER SHOWS SIZE AND DEPTH

Along with a deeper roster, second-year head coach Adam Groppi has more assistant coaches to help with the 82 players on the roster prior to the opener at Gavilan. It included 23 sophomores, 2 redshirt freshmen, and 57 freshmen and was packed with 16 defensive linemen, 13 wide receivers, 12 defensive linemen, 12 defensive backs, and 10 offensive linemen, including 7 who weigh more than 300 pounds.

Seven of the sophomores made all-conference in the Pacific-7 Conference last year after the Eagles went 7-4 overall, finished second in league at 4-1, and qualified for a postseason bowl game for the first time in seven years.

"We're excited," Groppi said after the Eagles scrimmaged against Shasta in the rain on their home field in Weed Aug. 16. "We have a challenging schedule. Our success will depend on how we mesh and staying healthy. We have a great staff and some great players."

Starting in October, the Eagles will play three of their five conference games at home in a new-look Pac 7 that includes Chabot, Contra Costa, Feather River, Los Medanos, and San Joaquin Delta.

They scrimmaged against a Shasta team that plays in the upper division NorCal Conference and brought more than 100 players to Weed. One Shasta assistant coach said after the scrimmage that Siskiyous is much better this year than last year.

RETURNING PLAYERS

It helps that the Eagles have seven returning players who made 1st Team All-Conference in 2024: offensive linemen Howie Thorne from Pasco, WA (6-foot-2, 312 pounds) and Brody Martin from Puyallup, WA (6-3, 312), wide receiver David Wacenske from Kennewick, WA (6-3, 214), running back Bryson McFall from Chico (5-8, 186), defensive lineman/short yardage running back Zaveon Jones from Mountlake Terrace, WA (6-1, 258), and linebackers Cody Huntsinger (5-10, 217) and Cody Clarke (5-10, 214), who played high school football together in Battle Ground, WA.

It also helps that the Eagles have a bunch of big guys up front, several other players who played a lot last year, and a large and talented first-year group.

Among those who were in on a lot of snaps last year are defensive end Dalton Hickey from Everson, WA (6-3, 238), defensive lineman Aahmonni Young from Redmond, WA (5-10, 252), wide receivers Jake Westerman from Gold Beach, OR (5-9, 183) and Seth Arnett from Vancouver, WA (6-1, 192), tight ends Parker Ziebert from Scio, OR (6-3, 258) and Talon Hernandez from Ashland, OR (6-3, 212), and defensive back Andrew Robinson from Phillip, Australia (5-8, 183).

Defensive back Aidan Nelson from North Bend, OR (6-1, 184) redshirted last year after getting injured while playing well in the first game of the season.

Defensive end Aisea Takau from Portland, OR (5-11, 241) returns after playing for the Eagles two years ago. He's joined on this year's roster by his brother Lamatau, a 6-1, 210 pound freshman who also plays on the defensive line.

Two returning quarterbacks have been having a good competition for the starting spot during training camp. Brayden Schiefer, a 5-foot-11, 188 pound sophomore from Vancouver, WA, attempted only 5 passes last year and completed 2 of them, both for touchdowns. Kyle Dixon is a 5-11, 165 pound redshirt freshman from Crescent City. Groppi said they both worked hard in the off-season, are playing well, and help each other.

Sophomore Isaac Real from Myrtle Creek, OR, is a 5-9, 142 pound wide receiver who will see action this year, Groppi said.

Also starting their second season are linebacker Chase Campbell from La Pine, OR, defensive back Aidan Kranjcec of Dayton, NV, wide receiver Ernest Mallard of Miami, FL, and defensive linemen Caleb Canfield of Central Point, OR, and Malino Tumbaga from Vancouver, WA.

Another sophomore, Rikalvin Panuel from Lakewood, WA, played on the offensive line last year and is now playing on the defensive line.

Along with being an all-conference offensive lineman, Brody Martin returns as the punter.

NEW EAGLES

Of the three freshmen quarterbacks on the roster, two are from small local high schools. Groppi said Hayden Porteous from Mount Shasta and Jayden Christianson from Dunsmuir have been battling with Kaleb Worland from Eagle River, AK, for the third QB spot.

"It's a lot of learning for the small school guys," said Groppi, who came to the Eagles as a running back from Weed High School in 2004, then played a year at Southern Oregon University before returning to Siskiyous as an assistant coach in 2013. Groppi was head

coach for two playoff seasons at Weed in 2022-23, then came back to the Eagles and took over as head coach in 2024.

As always in community college football, first-year players have a big role in the team's success, and Groppi believes many new Eagles will be ready to contribute.

Top new running backs include Morgan De Lago of Vacaville (5-8, 194), Ryan Lemly from Eugene, OR (5-8, 176), Jamar Thurman from Lowell, OR (5-9, 179), and Uriel Valdez from Bend, OR (5-9, 204).

Mason Iverson from Quilcene, WA, is a 5-10, 217 pound fullback/running back who has shown his potential after coming to Siskiyous from an eight-man football program.

New wide receivers who have impressed coaches this summer include Asher Lucas of Redmond, WA (5-11, 192), Ajani Ingram from Medford, OR (5-8, 156), Rafael Bauman from Vancouver, WA (5-11, 178) and Kyler McCleary from Seaside, OR (6-2, 168).

David Wacenske caught 47 passes for 829 yards last year, which was more than 60 percent of the Eagles' total passing production. Groppi said the plan this year is to "spread it around a little more."

Good blocking from a good group of new offensive linemen will be necessary to make that happen, and Groppi sees that potential from an athletic group that he says has "good talent and size."

Freshmen expected to help up front right away include big right tackle Turtle Muliagatele-Plummer from Graham, WA (6-2, 332), Angelo Odom from Gig Harbor, WA (6-4, 307), Keegan Collins from Mount Vernon, WA (6-3, 322), Amaurion Hopson from Gillette, WY (6-1, 317), Ulises Miron from Grandview, WA (6-1, 302), Andoni Degrange from Nampa, ID (5-11, 260), Quentin Sleeth from Redmond, WA (6-1, 252) and Kyle Eaton from Sherwood, OR (6-1, 248).

First-year defensive linemen have also shown plenty of potential this summer, including end Jason Page from Federal Way, WA (6-0, 255), Kai Russell from Crescent City (6-0, 245), and Cooper Smart from Truckee (6-1, 217).

New linebackers competing for playing time include Daniel McNeal from Woodburn, OR (6-2, 218), Kyrese Banks from Casa Grande, AZ (6-1, 250), Sekoa Kurkowki-Afoa from Portland (5-10, 215), and Luke Robbins from Roseburg, OR (5-10, 199).

Many first-year defensive backs who have stood out in camp, including Caden Scherf from Goldendale, WA (5-10, 185), Elijah Bartenstein from Bend (5-9, 166), Kale Konecny from Billings, MT (5-9, 160), Logan Tews from Mountlake Terrace, WA (5-8, 171), Anthony Seiler

from Chico (5-11, 189), Caleb Christian from Enumclaw, WA (5-10, 175) and Jasmere Davis from Portland (5-10, 171).

Freshman Kyler Theis from Sheridan, MT, is a kicker/punter.

The first-year group includes defensive back Domenick Bartenstien from Wethersfield, CT; defensive linemen Norien Banks from Casa Grande, AZ, Carl Faaaliga from Central Point, OR, Trevon Friday from Lake Elsinore, CA, Servando Robles from Camas, WA, and Logan Taylor from Woodburn, OR; fullbacks Issac AlMousawi from Orting, WA, Collins Forun from Covington, WA, and Justice Williams from Everett, WA; linebackers Brayden Dougherty from Lake Stevens, WA, Tim Hart from Grants Pass, OR, Zach Healey from Redmond, WA, Ethan Lamphere from Prineville, OR, and Lucien Regis from Weed High School; running back Clay Rhoades from Springfield, OR; tight end Justin Neils from Dayton, NV; and wide receivers Andrew Espinosa from Medford, Wyatt Langford from Butte Valley High School in Dorris, Jackson Stevens from Independence, OR, and Jordan Westerholm from Seaside,OR.

ASSISTANT COACHES

Returning assistant coaches Charlie Roche (offense) and Tyler Knudsen (defense) are former Eagle head coaches, and offensive line coach Tim Frisbie played for the Eagles and has been coaching in the program since 1993. Also returning from last year's staff are former Eagle Aaron Burns, Martin Morris, and senior analyst Chris Knudsen.

Groppi said the Eagles are fortunate that Drew Nobles has rejoined the coaching staff and will be calling defensive plays on the field. He previously coached Eagle defensive backs and running backs from 2013-18.

New to the staff this year are defensive line coach Blake Gardner, running backs coach Jay Brehm, and special teams/kickers/punters coach Kyle Sentkowski, who set Eagle kicking records for PATs and points scored in 2017-18, and earned all-conference and all-American honors while setting kicking and scoring records at Sacramento State in 2021-22. His bio also includes Rookie Mini Camp with the Buffalo Bills in 2023.

By Steve Gerace