Merzon, Armas The Bee’s 2016 All-District football coaches of the year

Large Schools

Oakdale coach Trent Merzon is The Bee’s Large-School Coach of the Year after guiding the Mustangs to their first CIF State Bowl victory. Oakdale (14-2) rebounded from a mistake-filled loss at Sonora in Week 1 by winning 14 of its next 15 games. Along the way, the Mustangs captured Valley Oak League, Sac-Joaquin Section, Northern California and State Bowl titles. Oakdale defeated The Bishop’s School of La Jolla 47-0 in the Division III-A State Bowl. In his 17th season, Merzon and his staff were tested by a young and inexperienced roster, including new talent at every offensive skill position. They developed rapidly, though, in part because of a competitive schedule. Along with the VOL, Oakdale lined up Sonora, a 2015 NorCal finalist; Campolindo of Moraga, the Division IV-AA State Bowl champion; and Crater of Oregon.

Small Schools

Denair coach Anthony Armas, The Bee’s Small-School Coach of the Year, found himself at the heart of the Stanislaus District’s most inspirational story. With as many as 15 players, Denair defied the odds in 11-man football with an Iron Man philosophy. The Coyotes won six games and qualified for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI postseason. Denair made national headlines after posting three shutout victories in a four-week span in the Southern League. The Coyotes blanked Ripon Christian 32-0 on Oct. 7 with just 14 players and then spoiled rival Delhi’s Southern League title hopes with a 14-0 victory on Oct. 21. Denair also shut out Le Grand 50-0 on Sept. 30 with just 12 players available. Armas is an alumnus of Denair who understands the demands of Iron Man football. Like many of his players today, he, too, was a two-way player.

This story was originally published December 24, 2016 at 3:57 PM with the headline "Merzon, Armas The Bee’s 2016 All-District football coaches of the year."