Here’s the one theme constant through all of Central Catholic’s historic seasons
At the beginning of the season, Central Catholic head coach Roger Canepa takes his team on a retreat.
The getaway gives the team time to bond, prepare for the new school year and set goals for the upcoming season.
He leaves the retreat every year with an idea of how the team’s season will play out.
“It’s been amazing that after the retreat, the teams that you leave there feeling good (about), have done good.” Canepa said.
After this year’s retreat, Canepa said he had people telling him “that group is special”, and they’ve proved it, securing the school’s first Sac-Joaquin Section Division II title with a 43-22 win over Monterey Trail and earning an appearance in the NorCal Division 2-AA Bowl Game.
The Raiders (12-1) host Bullard (9-4) of Fresno on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
“I think (the retreat) helps a lot because we just clear the air and we go over everything and we set our goals,” Canepa said. ”We tell them you might not achieve all the goals. We had a goal of going undefeated, well we ain’t gonna achieve that one. But we (also) wanted to win the VOL and we wanted to win a second title.”
Athletes at that retreat are living out the dream of a large number young football players in Modesto.
The allure of Central Catholic football starts with the youth.
Players from the Modesto Saints youth team spend time around the high school program, most notably on game days. The two teams interact and the Saints spend their time wondering what it would be like to become a Raider.
Aiden Taylor was once a Saint.
The Raiders’ leading rusher with 1,655 yards and 32 touchdowns spent his time as a youth football player admiring the Central Catholic teams that went on a run of four straight state titles, the last being in 2015 when the Raiders capped a perfect 16-0 season by defeating San Marino 56-21 in the Small School Open Division State title game.
“It was a big thing for us because it was something we looked up to. They were always over talking to us, sometimes while we were playing or practicing, it was a cool thing,” Taylor said. “All of us from the Saints grew up wanting to come here, and it was a big thing if we did come here.”
Sometimes, a young football player’s Central Catholic idol was under the same roof.
Junior three star athlete Jaelen Nichols looked up to his brother, Trae, who was a member of the 2015 state title team.
Jaelen Nichols served as the team’s ball boy as a sixth grader and not only got to learn from his brother individually, but also learned valuable lessons he uses this season as one of the leaders of the Raiders’ secondary.
“It was just a great experience,” Jaelen Nichols said of his time as a ball boy. “The way I saw them play I just fell in love with the culture … and I always wanted to be a part of that.
“I’d always watch their safety position. I always looked and tried to see if I could get some knowledge. I knew they’d have the same defense by the time I got up here, so it could probably translate.”
Tyler Jacklich’s older brother, Kyle, played for the Raiders during their 2018 section title appearance, a game the Raiders lost to Del Oro. The two play the same positions on both offense (running back) and defense (defensive back).
“I’d say probably 90% of stuff that I’ve actually learned is from (Kyle),” Tyler Jacklich said. “He would go to trainers and whatever he learned he would relay it back to me.
“If you still talk to everybody who’s alumni from Central, they’ll be like ‘Your brother’s a dog, you run just like your brother.’ and it’s awesome hearing that and just being able to have that connection with him.”
After 13 years, Canepa has been there through it all. He’s interacted with the younger teams and has seen his share of siblings come through the program, experiencing the joys of state titles and the agonies of section finals losses along the way.
However, through all of the change and success, he keeps things simple.
At the yearly retreat, Canepa brings his team together and sets the foundation for the season. He reminds his team of what the Raiders were known for when he took over for former head coach Mike Glines in 2008, and what they will continue to be known for when he retires.
“What ties (everything) together is ‘WE’,” Canepa said. “ I tell them all the time, ‘My decisions are based on what’s best for the team, not what’s best for you.’
“When I got this job, coach Glines and coach Wilkerson and the guys before me built a tradition. My goal was to keep the tradition up and try to make it as good as I can.”
This story was originally published December 2, 2021 at 4:00 AM.
