The MUHSD communications team stopped out at Atwater, Livingston and El Capitan to check out the action on the first day of practice. Coming soon will be previews on all six MUHSD teams at MUHSD District News. Follow us all season for game stories, previews and features on Atwater, Buhach Colony, El Capitan, Golden Valley, Merced and Livingston.

Livingston High football coach Steven Wine described Monday’s first official practice like Christmas morning. Even though teams have held spring and summer workouts, this week marked the first official start of high school football practices for Merced Union High School District teams. Wine and his coaching staff wore shirts that read, “Fear the Veer” as Wolves players all wore golf shorts and purple Livingston T-shirts. “This is really like practice 30 for us because we have spring and summer workouts, but it's a good reset for us,” Wine said. Players strapped on helmets for the first time on Monday and later in the week added pads as teams prepare for their first games on Aug. 22. With varsity making the playoffs last season and both junior varsity and freshmen teams coming off successful seasons, the Wolves hope to contend for a title in the Western Athletic Conference in 2025. “I didn’t  think (the season) would come this fast,” said Livingston junior Mathias Valencia. “But I'm ready for the season. I feel like we're all ready for the season.”

El Capitan had close to 50 players take the field on Monday as the Gauchos try to follow up their most successful season in school history after finishing 5-5 last year. El Capitan returns two top players in quarterback Sergio Mendoza and running back Lorenzo Peters. “We're just going to keep on pushing and keep on scratching, trying to see whatever we can do to make the playoffs,” Mendoza said. “That's the goal here.” Xavier Ramirez, who enters his second season as the Gauchos head coach, liked the energy he saw from his players on Monday. “We’re excited, we’re ready to get after it,” Ramirez said. “We’ve got 50 guys out here and we’re ready to go.”

Atwater also hopes to contend for a Central California Conference championship after losing 27-24 in overtime to Merced with the title on the line last year. The Falcons will open this season on the road at Vacaville in a playoff rematch of last year won by the Bulldogs 35-21. “It helps all of us, especially all of us seniors, because we all kind of got that excitement, that feeling to be in that kind of game,” said Atwater senior Ezra Gutierrez. “Coming into this year, we're hungry, we want that championship.” Atwater head coach Seneca Ybarra says his staff will be looking to leaders like Gutierrez to help guide this year’s group so they can play in big games later this season. “A lot of those guys coming up understand what takes to get to that level, what practice looks like, what the weight room looks like, what the energy looks like, the relationship with the coaches and what the competitive situation looks like, and we're looking to take that experience this year and keep it rolling.”

 

Week 1 Schedule

Aug. 22

Atwater at Vacaville

Livingston at Le Grand

Hoover at El Capitan

Patterson at Merced

Gregori at Buhach Colony

Golden Valley at Bear Creek