The wait is over Mustang fans. After all the practicing and off-season adjustments, Los Medanos College is ready to kick off the fall football season Sept. 5 with a home opener against Merced College.
“As an athletic director, my expectations are always for our teams to do well,” said LMC Athletic Director Richard Villegas. “We always want them to strive to get into post season play, but the important thing is to have good student athletes who are taking care of business in the classroom and then taking care of the athletic portion on the field.”
To go along with achieving success on the field and in the classroom, also anticipate a few new faces on both sides of the ball.
From the freshman class, Alex Espinoza, Alex Bazan, Dylan Capps, De’Angelo Powell, Michael Fonteno, Joseph Tolentino, Sohail Mohsini, Kyle Jordan, Jason Russo and Eddie Yanes have all been described by head coach Chris Shipe as players who “have come into camp and have made a difference in a short period of time.”
These standout freshmen will be taking the field with some of the key players returning to the gridiron.
Shipe called defensive backs Korey Alexander, Raymond Garcia, Jaiya Garcia, Marcus Fenderson, outside line backer Hunter Capps, and defensive linemen Matt Dekelaita “key returners for us on the defensive side of the ball.”
On the offensive side of the ball, Shipe said quarterback Julius Mozee, tight end Marcus Franks, wide receivers Nick Garcia and Josh Jackson, offensive linemen Fernando Nunez-Ruiz, Josh Murtaugh and Leonard Grillo are all essential players coming back this season.
After a 2-0 start to the season last year gave way to a 4-6 campaign, the Mustangs are looking to start hot and stay hot throughout the season — and it begins with week one.
“To start fast we have to play well in the first game,” said Shipe. “The first game sets the tone. Our first game is at home against Merced College, which has always been a competitive game over recent years. We will definitely take each week as an important game but the one right in front of us is Merced, and that’s the one we’re focused on at the moment.”
The opener is against Merced College, “which has always been a competitive game over recent years,” Shipe added. “We will definitely take each week as an important game but the one right in front of us is Merced, and that’s the one we’re focused on at the moment.”
You can find the team roster at losmedanos.edu/football.