The 2023 season was a tough one for the Righetti varsity soccer staff and its new coach, Rus Pickett.
The Warriors went 2-8, lacking qualifying for the playoffs by one sport for the second straight yr. All six Mountain League losses had been by lower than 10 factors, and league rival Santa Ynez beat Righetti on a Hail Mary move.
Righetti scored a come-from-behind 24-23 win over Nipomo within the Warriors’ season finale, and Righetti will attempt to construct off that in its second season below Pickett.
“We completely can construct on that,” Pickett mentioned of his 2023 staff’s win over Nipomo.
“The fellows confirmed lots of resiliency final yr. We obtained bit by the damage bug. There have been new coaches, a brand new system. We’ve a good quantity of returnees, and hopefully we will bounce again and present lots of aggressive greatness.”
The Warriors can be in a brand new league, the Sundown League. The Sundown League is taken into account the center tier within the three Central Coast Athletic Affiliation (CCAA) 2024 soccer leagues, the Mountain, Sundown and Ocean.
Righetti performed within the Mountain League for a number of years below the previous CCAA Mountan League-Ocean League format. For the primary time in a number of years, Righetti is not going to play Foster Street rival St. Joseph. St. Joseph remained within the Mountain League.
The Warriors will attempt to enhance in 2024 with out their main working again R.J. Fuentes, and their beginning quarterback, Money Carter, from the 2023 staff. Each graduated.
Jacob Nelson, a two-way stalwart who was Righetti’s main receiver in 2023, graduated final June. Nelson was the 2024 Northern Santa Barbara County Athletic Spherical Desk (NSBCART) Male Athlete of the Yr.
Nonetheless, Righetti does have a number of returners from the 2023 squad, amongst them senior huge receiver-corner again Derek Reynoso, senior center-nose guard Nate Montano and senior Gilbert Murguija, who’s competing for the beginning quarterback job.
Murguija noticed time at quarterback final yr when Carter was injured.
“I really feel like we’re extra aggressive this yr,” mentioned Murguija. “We have gotten stronger from final yr, extra stronger, extra quicker.”
“We’ve a method higher probability than final yr,” to succeed, Reynoso mentioned. “We have come collectively extra as a staff. Everybody cares rather a lot about profitable.”
Montano is a third-year varsity participant who likes the Righetti system he can be coming into for the 2024 season. Montano would be the staff’s middle on offense and the nostril guard on protection.
“We’re working the identical system we did final yr,” mentioned Montano. “I am feeling fairly settled. We’re doing lots of the identical performs.”
Here’s a staff outlook. At press time, the Warriors had been set to scrimmage Bishop Diego at residence at 6 p.m. Thursday then open their 2024 season at residence in opposition to Santa Maria Aug. 23 at 7 p.m.
2023 document: 2-8 (1-6 Mountain League).
Apart from Murguija and Reynoso, different returning abilities positions gamers for the Warriors embrace huge receiver Thomas Harris and working again Braeden Amba.
The Warriors have three returners, Montano, guard/sort out Zach Sendejas and sort out Ryan Twissleman. Montano and Sendejas are seniors. Twissleman is a junior.
Lucas Graack, an anchor on the offensive line in 2023, graduated and is in america Service provider Marines Academy soccer program along with his brother, Matthew, who additionally performed for Righetti.
Sendejas is a returning defensive finish. Fellow senior defensive finish Achilles Syintsakos is one other returner.
Harris, a security, can be within the Righetti secondary together with returning nook backs Amba, Reynoso and Ruben Ramos.
The Warriors have a number of, together with junior quarterback Nick Matautia who transferred from St. Joseph, sophomore tight finish/defensive lineman Jesse Cuevas, huge receivers Luis Magana (senior) and Andy Gonsales (junior) and middle/guard Morgan Brown.
Senior Johnny Castillo competed within the Kohl’s Nationwide Invite Kicking Competitors in Tennessee earlier this summer time, and he can be Righetti’s kicker once more this season.
Pickett has an ample workers of assistants which incorporates Asakai Blake, Luke Wilson, Jacob Antak, Doug Could, Gabe Espinoza, Isaiah Finley, Jamie Perez, Matt Harris, Sammy Hernandez, Sam Taylor, Vincent Garcia, Jerry Watson, David Tigalari, Robert Ibarra, PJ Garcia and Jordan Pagan.
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