SLO County high school football preview: Teams, players, coaches’ comments
High school football season is almost here in San Luis Obispo County, and teams have been putting in the work during preseason training and camp as kickoff approaches.
Eight local programs compete across three leagues: the Sunset League (San Luis Obispo, Atascadero), Ocean League (Nipomo, Templeton, Morro Bay), and Mountain League (Paso Robles, Arroyo Grande, Mission Prep).
Last season, SLO County teams claimed league titles in all three divisions: San Luis Obispo in the Sunset, Nipomo in the Ocean and Arroyo Grande in the Mountain.
All squads will open their season Aug. 22, except for Morro Bay. The Pirates will begin a week earlier, on Aug. 16, traveling across the Pacific for a nonleague matchup at King Kekaulike High School in Makawao, Hawaii.
With kickoff right around the corner, here’s a look at where each team stands entering the season, plus the key players to keep an eye on this fall.
Arroyo Grande
After a first-place finish in the Mountain League, Arroyo Grande enters the season with a change in leadership.
Former Head Coach Mike Hartman has shifted his focus to working more closely with the offense, while Stephen Field takes over the program after spending the past three seasons as Nipomo’s head coach.
Field is no stranger to Arroyo Grande. He previously coached the Eagles from 2009-21 as an assistant before taking the Nipomo head coaching job, leading the Titans to a first-place finish in the Ocean League last season.
He returned to AG this summer to lead the program once again and now takes over an Arroyo Grande team coming off a league title of its own.
“We try to make the transition as seamless as possible,” Field said. “And the kids have responded and have done a really great job.”
Taking over as one of the team captains for the Eagles is Caleb Clark, a Division I commit to the University of Idaho. Clark is a two-way player who can be found on both sides of the ball with the ability to contribute to nearly every facet of the game. He was named the 2024 Mountain League MVP and Tribune Player of the Year last season.
“(Caleb) is a tremendous athlete, tremendous player, but most importantly, a tremendous teammate,” Field said.
Quarterback Jacob Kreowski has stepped into a leadership role this season, Field said.
“Taking the lead of an offense is never an easy thing, and he’s done a great job with that,” Field said.
The Eagles are working to develop a balanced offensive attack, with an emphasis on teamwork and execution across all positions.
“Our goal is to make sure we’re coming together as a team and to attack every week as it comes to us,” Field said. “We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves.”
Key players: Caleb Clark (WR/DB), Zack Tayman (RB/LB), Jacob Kreowski (QB), Maddux Amburgey (OL)
2024 record: 9-3, 4-0 Mountain
Atascadero
Atascadero looks to build off of its second-place 3-1 Sunset League record last season.
The Greyhounds posted a 6-6 overall mark in 2024 in Coach Dan Loney’s first year as head coach with the orange and white. Loney replaced longtime head coach Vic Cooper.
Junior quarterback Michael Trejo posted 540 yards rushing and seven touchdowns as well as 430 passing and four more scores last season.
Atascadero expects to return its traditional “disciplined, hard-nosed, old school Greyhound football team with a little twist,” Loney said, keeping that detail under wraps for now.
Atascadero’s goals this year are to come together as a team and to hold each other to a Greyhound standard of expectation, he said.
“When that is done consistently, good things will follow,” Loney said.
Key players: Michael Trejo (QB), Bishop Resco (RB/LB), Damon Mitchell (RB/LB), Max Rodriguez (OL/DL), Jeremy Hendrix (WR/DB), Alize Mota (OL/DL), Jacob Perry (WR/DB), and Tyson Tenhaeff (WR/DB).
2024 record: 6-6, 3-1 Sunset
Mission Prep
Coming off a fourth-place 1-3 finish in the Mountain League, Mission Prep enters the new season with the same goals it sets every year, according to Head Coach David Schuster: “We want to glorify God in all that we do and be the most physical team on the field.”
That mindset carries into the locker room, where a “team-first” approach drives the program’s development. The focus this offseason has been on versatility, preparing players to contribute in multiple roles.
“It allows us flexibility,” Schuster said. “Everybody’s gotta be able to do everything, and the team really embodied that this offseason.”
Like many teams this time of year, Mission Prep is still working to name a starting quarterback. Schuster said three players are currently competing for the job.
Senior running back Ronnie Kardashian, a first-team all-league selection last season, returns as Mission Prep’s primary offensive weapon.
“He was dynamic last year,” Schuster said, “the way he’s motivated and pushed this team, but also the way he’s prepared himself for this season.”
The Royals will operate a personnel-driven offense, adjusting their scheme based on the strengths and skill sets of the players on the field.
“This year is gonna be a little bit more dialed in and focused on a blue-collar smashmouth approach, and I think that fits the identity of this team,” Schuster said.
Key players: Ethan Farelas (OL/DL), Ronnie Kardashian (RB/DB), Aaron Bower (OL/DL)
2024 record: 4-7, 1-3 Mountain League
Morro Bay
The Pirates will look to pick up where they left off after reaching the CIF Central Section Division 5 Championship game, ultimately falling to Selma 32-28.
“After getting so close to a CIF championship last season, our goal this year is to get back there and win it,” said Morro Bay Coach Robert Dougherty.
The Pirates return senior star quarterback Sands Dougherty, who tallied 4,441 yards passing and 50 touchdowns throwing as a junior. He added 908 yards rushing and eight touchdowns, earning The Tribune’s co-offensive player of the year along with Jace Gomes, San Luis Obispo High’s senior quarterback, who’s now playing at Cal Poly.
Dougherty, a left-handed thrower and the coach’s son, put up 317 yards per game through the air in leading the Pirates to a 7-7 overall record.
Morro Bay loses some key receivers in John Myers (1,543 yards receiving), James Nickel (865 yards receiving) and Ryder Busch (945 yards receiving) with each graduating and will look to a new crop of pass catchers to step into those roles as go-to targets. Myers is playing football at Santa Barbara City College this fall.
“Fans can expect an exciting brand of football from both sides of the ball,” Dougherty said. “The kids have been working very hard to develop a positive team culture where every player is valued for their individual contributions for our team goal … a CIF championship.”
Key players: Sands Dougherty (QB), Luca Macari (RB/LB), Anthony Campanario (WR/C ), Radden Batalla OL/DL, Colton Rosenlieb (OL/LB), Isaac Schooley (OL/LB), Efrain Hernandez (WR/C), Ryan Martinez (WR/LB), Manny Zarinana (OL/LB
2024 record: 7-7, 1-3 Ocean
Nipomo
Nipomo looks to continue its success in the Ocean League after an undefeated, league title season in 2024.
The last three years, the Titans were led by Coach Stephen Field, who guided them to the CIF-Central Section playoffs in 2023 (4-7, 2-5) and the Ocean League title in 2024 after a rocky 0-10 first year in 2022 in the higher-ranked Mountain League.
Longtime former coach and athletic director Russ Edwards will take over again as Titans head coach this year, as Field moved up Highway 101 to become Arroyo Grande’s head coach, replacing Mike Hartman in that role.
“Our goal is to be the first back-to-back league championship team in school history,” Edwards. “We won league championships in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2024 and so we had a long run there of every other year. The goal this year is to do it back-to-back.”
Edwards started at Nipomo as an assistant in 2005, before taking over as head coach from 2007-14, and then becoming athletic director. Edwards will remain as the athletic director while coaching football.
The Titans will be without last year’s starting quarterback, Blayne Lowry, who is enrolled at Paso Robles High this year.
This summer, senior returner Griffin Groshart has been taking reps along with sophomore Sam Gutierrez, with a starter yet to be determined. Scott Litvinchuk, a senior joining the team for the first time, will serve a “very capable backup,” Edwards said.
Nipomo has eight starters returning on defense and five on offense. Returning standouts include running back Nick Evans, who tallied 1,203 yards and 14 touchdowns last year as a junior.
“Nick was the league offensive player of the year last year, and we’re very excited to have him back, and hope to see him have a big year,” Edwards said.
Senior linebacker Jacob Goldsbary recorded a team-high 115 tackles in 2024.
“Junior linemen Peyton Blume and Jaydan Tesoro have shown great leadership in helping us bring that offensive line together,” Edwards said.
Junior Troy Simonson tallied 109 tackles and three sacks as a linebacker.
Edwards said that Templeton looks to be a strong team in the league with Morro Bay a force led by Sands Dougherty behind center.
Key players: Koen Price (OL/DL), Evan Doll (LB), Travis Barr (TE), Jacob Goldsbary (LB), Troy Simonson (WR, LB), Peyton Blume (OL/DL), Jaydan Tesoro (OL/DL), Griffin Groshart (LB), Jeremiah Wheeler (WR), Elijah Quezada (DL), Trevor Oxley (DB), Logan Hobbs (DB).
2024 record: 6-5-1, 4-0 Ocean League
Paso Robles
After two straight seasons without a playoff berth, Head Coach Matt Carroll says the Paso Robles Bearcats are looking significantly stronger than last season.
Carroll credits much of that process to the team’s offseason work in the weight room.
“This has to be the strongest team that I’ve had in the six years that I’ve been the head coach,” Carroll said.
Last season, the Bearcats did not have a single player in the 1,000-pound club — a benchmark that combines bench, squat, and clean totals — but this year, four athletes have achieved this feat.
But the most notable change isn’t just physical, it’s positional.
Senior Marcus Garcia, who started at quarterback last season, is now lining up as a wide receiver. He’s bringing his athleticism and football IQ to a new role on the field.
Paso Robles has added quarterback Blayne Lowry, who spent the past two seasons at Nipomo High School. After leading his former team to a first-place finish in the Ocean League, Lowry now makes the jump to the Mountain League, where he’ll take over as the Bearcats’ starting quarterback.
“Understanding that Blayne was gonna transfer in here, I thought there might be a quarterback competition,” Carroll said. “Those two started throwing the ball around together, and it’s a decision they made on their own.”
While CIF transfer rules call for a sit-out period without a corresponding change of address, Lowry’s family moved to Paso Robles, giving him immediate eligibility to start the season.
A major point of emphasis heading into the season is limiting avoidable mistakes that give opponents an edge. One of the biggest issues last year came on special teams, where the Bearcats had eight punts blocked — costly errors that stalled momentum and led to missed opportunities.
Carroll, who spent six years coaching special teams before taking over as head coach in 2019, said it was the first time in his career that any of his punts had been blocked.
“Our kids understand unforced errors. We are getting rid of them,” Carroll said. “We are gonna make the other team beat us, we’re not gonna beat ourselves.”
Key players: Blayne Lowry (QB), Marcus Garcia (WR/ST), Yannis Gelos (RB), Tre Clark (WR)
2024 record: 2-8, 0-4 Mountain
San Luis Obispo
After graduating a senior class of 32 players from last year’s first-place Sunset League team, San Luis Obispo enters the season with a much younger roster.
According to Head Coach Pat Johnston, the focus has been on building chemistry and growing closer as a team with so many new faces.
“We kind of told ourselves that this off-season, the goal wasn’t going to be rebuild but rather reload,” Johnston said.
With a senior-heavy class gone, the Tigers turned their focus to the weight room, preparing younger players from the previous freshman and JV teams to step into key roles.
Though the Tigers are reloading with fresh talent, they still have proven leaders to rely on.
One of them is 1,000-yard rusher Colbin Garrison, who ranked among the Sunset League’s top rushers last season.
“He’s a really explosive ball carrier,” Johnston said.
Johnston said several returning players who contributed to last year’s success will be leaned on heavily for their experience and leadership.
“We have some great guys coming back from our varsity team last year that lived through all those experiences, so we’re going to rely on their experience and their leadership to kind of collectively bring the team where we want to be,” Johnston said. “And that’s playing well enough so that we could make a run at our league again.”
Although the Tigers have leaned on the run game in recent seasons, their coaching staff is aiming for a more balanced offensive approach this year. Johnston said the team’s identity will ultimately depend on how the players perform and develop early on.
Some years have allowed for a near 50-50 split between run and pass, while others have favored the ground game. The coaching staff plans to adjust based on personnel and hopes to have a clear offensive identity established by the time league play and bigger matchups arrive.
With Sunset League MVP Jace Gomes now playing at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo faces the task of filling the void at quarterback. Johnston says two players are currently competing for the starting role, Jacob Gill and Zion Hegg.
“It’s kind of a good thing when guys make it difficult on coaches to make those kinds of decisions,” Johnston said. “When it’s two really great human beings that work so hard at what they do, those are good problems to have.”
Chasing back-to-back league titles for the first time in 25 years, San Luis Obispo has its sights set on more than just a rebuild.
Key players: Colbin Garrison (RB/OL), Grady Garrison (WR/CB), Drew Howes (DE/G), Ethan Asmus Guilford (WR/CB)
2024 record: 10-2, 4-0 Sunset
Templeton
Heading into his 12th season as head coach of the Templeton Eagles, Don Crow is looking to build off last year’s second-place 3-1 finish in the Ocean League.
Crow says the Eagles return a veteran offense led by quarterback Colter Tannehill and standout running back Tyler Cunningham, who has committed to play at Yale. While the offense brings experience and stability, according to Crow, the defense is much younger and still developing.
“I think because we have enough skilled athletes to run and throw the ball, it’s all they’re gonna depend on — our guys up front,” Crow said. “We’re bigger up front than we’ve been in six years.”
Crow credits the team’s offseason dedication in the weight room for that progress, calling this the strongest overall group he’s coached at Templeton in years.
“We’re just trying to stay with getting better every day and trying to be 1-0 every Friday,” Crow said.
Key players: Colter Tannehill (QB), Tyler Cunningham (RB/LB/WR), Drake Sandoval (OL/DL), Weston Patch (OL/DL)
2024 record: 5-3, 3-1 Ocean
This story was originally published August 10, 2025 at 5:00 AM.