Talented MJC football team faces one of the nation’s toughest schedules
When asked to predict his team’s record in 2019, Modesto Junior College coach Rusty Stivers said with a grin that he wasn’t good at forecasting seasons.
“It doesn’t do me any good to say I think we will win a certain amount of games,” said Stivers, who is entering his fifth year with the Pirates.
It will be hard for MJC to top last year’s season, which Stivers said was one of the best in school history.
The Pirates went 8-3, beating City College of San Francisco in the Golden State Bowl. It was the school’s first win over CCSF since 1958.
It was also the first time the Pirates achieved the $1 million club under Stivers ,with 16 players signing to four-year universities and receiving over $1 million in scholarships.
With a grueling schedule (five opponents ranked in the nation’s top 30), there is still plenty of optimism as the season begins Friday at 7 p.m. in Oakland against Laney, the defending state champions.
“I don’t think there is anybody that has as tough of a schedule,” Stivers said. “We are going to be battle-tested.”
Headlining the team is sophomore quarterback Danny Velasquez, a 2016 Turlock High grad, who played for the Pirates in 2017 before transferring to Portland State.
“It’s nice to have an experienced quarterback,” Stivers, said. “Offensively, we will be pretty good.”
While the Pirates have no returners at running back, sophomores Brandon Gray (Beyer) and Jordan Porter (Turlock) return at wide receiver with 6-feet, 4-inch, 340-pound sophomore offensive lineman Paul Sogialofa anchoring a strong offensive line.
On defense, two Valley League First-Team honorees are back.
Sophomore linebacker Ferrin G Manuleleau (Manteca) and sophomore defensive lineman Antonio Pule return. Stivers said D1 schools are already reaching out about Pule including one Pac-12 team recently.
Some true freshmen who are expected to play, according to Stivers, are: running back Payton Bass (Pitman), wide receiver Lucas Curtis (Turlock), running back Zaire Eugene (Modesto), wide receiver Anderson Grover (Downey), and running back Isaac Sharp (Hilmar).
One difference between this year’s team and last year’s is size, Stivers said.
Said Stivers: “We are bigger all around than we have been at all positions. We have a lot of D1 body types.”
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School: Modesto Junior College
Record: 8-3, 4-1 in Valley Conference
Players to Watch: Redshirt sophomore quarterback Danny Velasquez, sophomore linebacker Ferrin G Manuleleau, sophomore defensive lineman Antonio Pule
Biggest Game: Sept. 6 at Laney
Season Schedule:
| Date | Opponent | Time |
| Sept. | ||
| 6 | at Laney | 7 p.m. |
| 14 | Sierra | 6 p.m. |
| 21 | City College of San Francisco | 6 p.m. |
| 28 | at American River | 1 p.m. |
| Oct. | ||
| 5 | at San Mateo | 1 p.m. |
| 12 | Bye Week | |
| 19 | College of Sequoias | 6 p.m. |
| 26 | at West Hills Coalinga | 1 p.m. |
| Nov. | ||
| 2 | Fresno | 6 p.m. |
| 9 | at Sacramento City College | 4 p.m. |
| 16 | Delta College | 6 p.m. |
