Everything you need to know about the 2017 high school football season, A to Z

A: is for famous alumni giving back. Former Hilmar quarterback Nate Costa, now the offensive coordinator at the IMG Academy, returned to the cheese capital of the Central Valley to host his annual quarterback camp. Former Golden Valley star Chris Randle launched his summer camp with help from old coaches, teammates and high school rivals. Randle plays defensive back for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League.

B: is for balance. Take a long look at the conference standings. They won’t look like this in 2018. Citing competitive equity, the Sac-Joaquin Section has realigned its leagues for the 2018-19 school year. The biggest changes will take place in the Central California Conference, Western Athletic Conference and Modesto Metro Conference.

C: is for The Corral, home to the defending Division III-A state champion Oakdale Mustangs. The Corral received new artificial turf and a scoreboard in time for a heavyweight tilt with Folsom, a seven-time section champion. Since 2004, Oakdale is 78-6 at home.

D: is for the Detwiler fire, which displaced thousands in Mariposa County, including varsity football coach Ryan Oliphant. Along the items Oliphant grabbed as he evacuated his home – the Green and Gold Trophy, the perpetual prize awarded to the winner of the Mariposa-Le Grand rivalry.

E: is for El Capitan’s new boss, Frank Solis, who steps right into the fire. Five of the Gauchos’ first six opponents advanced to the postseason last fall, including: Calaveras, Sac-Joaquin Section Division V; Oakdale, the reigning SJS D-III section and CIF D-III-AA state champion; Gregori, SJS D-I; King’s Canyon of Sunnyvale, Central Coast Section D-V; and Turlock, SJS D-I.

F: is for futility. Atwater accomplished a dubious feat last fall. The free-falling Falcons were one of four teams in the Sac-Joaquin Section to finish the season winless. Atwater was 0-10 in former coach Nathan Medeiros’ only season, joining West, of Tracy, Bella Vista of Fair Oaks, and Valley Christian of Roseville.

G: is for girl power. Senior Annika Blom will resume kicking duties for Modesto. Blom, an elite soccer player with a booming kick, connected on 43 of 49 PATs last fall. Hilmar coach Frank Marques has turned to three female students to help assist him with the offense. Alexa Casey, Morgan Amarante and Amanda Lopes relay plays and formations, a unique wrinkle in an explosive offense.

H: is for The Honor Bowl. For the second consecutive year, a team from the southern half of the Sac-Joaquin Section will take part in the showcase Sept. 15-16. Argonaut of the Mother Lode League will face St. Bonaventure in Mission Viejo.

I: is for island DBs like Buhach Colony’s LJ Wallace, a bona fide Division I recruit, and Turlock’s Dustin Grein, an all-Central California Conference performer a season ago.

J: is for Johansen. The Vikings snapped their 23-game losing streak in Modesto Metro Conference play with a 28-26 victory over Davis in their season finale last fall. Before that, Johansen’s last MMC came in 2012.

K: is for the top kickers in the area, as rated by kicking specialist Paul Assad: Wyatt Elmore, Argonaut; Dallin Tilby, Turlock; Marcus Mouro, Hilmar; Guillermo Alvarez, Escalon; and Hayden Garcia, Oakdale.

L: is for the city of Los Banos and its Crosstown Clash. Rivals Los Banos and Pacheco will have to replace 1,000-yard running backs. The Panthers’ TK Teneng finished with 1,426 yards, while the Tigers’ Chris Kyles churned out 1,071 yards.

M: is for the man-child, Everett Johnson of Turlock. At 6-foot-6, coach James Peterson believes Johnson, only a sophomore, will be force in the trenches this season and beyond for the reigning Central California Conference champions.

N: is for “next in line.” One season after Devan Bass put Pitman in position for a CCC title, the Pride will troll for athleticism and explosiveness in the same gene pool. Younger brother Peyton Bass is poised for a breakout year after missing all of last season with a knee injury.

O: is for the Olivo brothers, Miguel Jr. and Minaya, the sons of Major League Baseball catcher Miguel Olivo. Miguel Jr. is a senior full back and linebacker, while Minaya is a running back on the junior varsity team. Miguel Olivio played 13 seasons with eight clubs.

P: is for Patterson, a perennial power that endured a disappointing 2016 season. The Tigers went 2-8, but injuries at quarterback allowed coach Rob Cozart to fast-track Gabe Sanchez. The 6-foot-1 senior led Patterson in passing and rushing, and closed with four touchdowns in a win over Livingston.

Q: is for area teams that qualified for the Sac-Joaquin Section postseason in 2016: 26.

R: is for reigning league champions in the area: Downey, Modesto Metro Conference; Turlock, Central California Conference; Central Valley, Western Athletic Conference; Oakdale, Central Catholic, Manteca, Valley Oak League; Hilmar, Trans-Valley League; Orestimba, Southern League; and Sonora, Mother Lode League.

S: is for swan song. Is this the final season on the sidelines for Escalon coach Mark Loureiro, the all-time winningest coach in Sac-Joaquin Section history? Loureiro hinted at retirement last fall, but said he felt re-energized by the young coaches and players in the program.

T: is for track speed. Junior C.J. Castleman is a budding slot receiver for Sonora. Castleman finished 12th in the 200-meter dash at the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters with a time of 22.88 seconds. “He’s a guy we want to get involved with all of that speed,” coach Bryan Craig said. Another track star attempting a crossover: Downey junior Javon Gamez, the Modesto Metro runner-up in the 100 meters.

U: is for the unusual. For the first time in a long time, Central Catholic will not feature a Bland, Mundt or Petlansky.

V: is for versatility. Junior Dhameer Warren is a dangerous dual-threat quarterback in Merced’s Spread offense. Warren had 1,152 total yards and accounted for 15 touchdowns as the backup to Jake Foss.

W: is for winds of change on the West Side. Ronnie Labry takes over at Gustine, replacing Mike Mendonca.

X: is for the Xaviers. Merced junior wide receiver Xavier Stewart is the younger brother of A.J. Stewart, the 2015 Central California Conference MVP. Downey middle linebacker Xavier Lewis inherits a role once occupied by Modesto Metro Conference defensive player of the year Aaric Holt.

Y: is for Seneca Ybarra, Atwater’s third head coach in as many seasons. A longtime coordinator in Merced County, Ybarra inherits a program that is 4-26 over the last three years.

Z: is for the Purple Zoo, Orestimba’s spirited student section, and the Red Zone, rival Gustine’s crowd. Without those two, The Battle for the Chief just isn’t the same.

This story was originally published August 24, 2017 at 11:01 AM with the headline "Everything you need to know about the 2017 high school football season, A to Z."