Cougars head coach Rick Martinez likes the work ethic and team-first attitude he’s seen from his players this summer. Golden Valley is hoping they can climb the ladder in the Central California Conference this season.

 

A broken foot limited Golden Valley High running back Isaiah Welch to just five games last season. The Cougars junior is healthy this year and excited to hit the ground running. “Last year was tough with the injury,” Welch said. “I was watching my guys play. I wasn’t able to do anything, but I got through it.” With only four seniors on the roster, the GV coaching staff will be counting on second-year players like Welch and fellow junior Gabriel Richards to play major roles this year. Richards is competing with senior Mario Perez at quarterback and could also make an impact on defense. “We want to win,” Welch said. “We have a group that comes here and works hard every day. I think we have a good shot to win”

 

Cougars head coach Rick Martinez praised his players work ethic in camp and their choice to set aside their egos for the better of the team. For this group to be successful, Martinez says they’re going to need a team-first approach. “They're really all working to be good at their position without being worried about how many times I touch the ball, how many times I get thrown the ball,” Martinez said. “It’s more about this is my job, and this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to try to do it to the best of my ability, and as fast as I can.”

 

Richards called last year an adjustment season, playing quarterback at the varsity level as a sophomore. He threw for 896 yards and five touchdowns to go along with nine interceptions. “This year is different because I’ve matured a lot from last year,” Richards said. “Last year was almost like a test year almost, just learning how fast varsity was. It took me almost half of the season to catch up to the speed of the game. This year I’m more confident.” Martinez says his quarterback also benefits from being a three-sport athlete. Some of that confidence comes from success in baseball and wrestling. “He's taller, he's bigger, stronger, he's more experienced and he throws a good ball,” Martinez said. “He's trying to adjust between baseball and football. He’s learning he doesn’t have to throw a fastball every time.”

 

Welch gives the Cougars a big-play threat out of the backfield to go along with some weapons at receiver in Jaren Bell, Jaden Smith, Damian Solorio, Ayden Moreno and tight end Camden Patterson. Golden Valley hopes the receivers group will deliver some big plays to keep defenses honest, which will help open up the running game. The offensive line will have to gel quickly as four new starters will join returning center Bryon Avalos. The Cougars defense will be built around their speed with Welch, Bell and Adrian Hermoso all playing key roles. “We need to get nine, ten, 11 guys flying to  the ball,” Martinez said. “That's what we're trying to do, get as many guys to the ball because we're not big, but we're pretty fast, pretty athletic, and so we just have to get as many bodies on the tackles as we can.”

 

With a roster hovering around 45 players, depth could be an issue. That’s why Martinez and his staff have been emphasizing conditioning during practice. “We can't get hurt, we can't get tired, so we have to be in condition,” Martinez said. “Conditioning is more about adding to our toolbox than making it a punishment. We have to be in shape.”

 

2025 Schedule

Aug. 22 at Ripon

Aug. 29 vs Tokay

Sept. 5 at Elk Grove

Sept. 12 vs Pitman

Sept. 19 at Kimball

Oct. 3 at Merced

Oct. 10 vs Buhach Colony

Oct. 17 at Atwater

Oct. 24 vs Los Banos

Oct. 31 vs El Capitan

Shawn Jansen is the MUHSD Program Manager Digital Media. He can be reached at Sjansen@muhsd.org. The communications department will be publishing previews on each MUHSD football team as we close in on the start of the season.