It could be a very, very good year at Carpinteria High School.
The Warriors football program started 0-8 last season but finished up with big wins over Bishop Diego and Santa Clara. This year, Carpinteria returns seven offensive starters and eight on the defensive side of the ball.
“We felt very encouraged by how we played at the end of last year, and I think our guys also got some resolve out of it,” said coach Ben Hallock.
Paul “Munchie” Aguilar returns at quarterback while the backfield of running back Alex Rodriguez and fullback Jovan Saenz also remains intact. Aguilar’s two starting wide receivers also return, as does most of the offensive line.
Another key returnee is on the coaching staff, as former Carpinteria resident and coach Rick Candaele has moved back to the area and will run the defense. Candaele recently retired as head football coach at Claremont College, and was also a head coach at UCSB where he led the Gauchos to a 22-8 record, the highest winning percentage in the program’s history.
Oaks Christian is gone, having moved to the Marmonte League, leaving a juggernaut that had no business in the Tri-Valley League off the schedule. It certainly makes playoff hopes much more realistic for the Warriors.
“That’s certainly one of our goals, and from that standpoint our league looks very promising,” said Hallock.
While it’s fortunate that the annual drubbings from Oaks Christian are a thing of the past, Aguilar feels confident in his team’s ability against any opponent.
“It’s kind of a little weight off of our shoulders, but we can compete with anybody I think, basically,” he said. “So whoever’s out there we’re gonna play against, and hopefully come out with a win.”
The Warriors host Morro Bay this Friday.
