JoJo Sanchez, Nyssa Bulldogs head football coach, said his squad has a challenging but winnable schedule ahead of them.
Meantime, Sanchez, 23, said the Bulldogs have a lot of returning players but are still a young team that is continuing to get better.
Sanchez said the squad is further along than they were last season. With the addition of an offensive line coach and a couple of other assistants, the Bulldogs have a better foundation to put together a winning season.
The squad will play Ontario in Nyssa on Friday, Sept. 6, at 7 p.m.
Over the last two seasons, Nyssa has gone a combined 5-12 in their 3A Special District in the Eastern Oregon League.
The team returns about 25 players, with starters on each side of the ball.
Sanchez said the Bulldogs will start sophomore Brayden Draper at quarterback. Devin Dorathy, a senior, is the backup.
Sanchez said the offense looks strong this year. One of the three coaches hired this season is Alex Willson, an offensive line coach who is working with the linemen on blocking techniques and fundamentals, according to Sanchez. He said last year, one of the areas the Bulldogs struggled in was on their offensive line.
Sanchez said Nyssa’s looking stronger on defense this year. Sanchez said he and his defensive coach, Landon Johnson, have developed a coaching strategy, and the players are picking up the plays more quickly this season.
Coupled with the return of Jobany Sotelo, a senior linebacker who last year was a first-team defensive player in the Eastern Oregon League, and Jose Neri, a senior defensive back, the Bulldogs defense has strong leadership.
Noah Fuentes, a senior, is helping the younger players on the line, Sanchez said.
Sanchez said with the exception of seniors such as Sotelo and Fuentes, many of his players are younger and new to the game.
“These kids are green to football,” he said. However, he said they have size, talent and the potential to become a great team.
Sanchez, a former Nyssa standout who played on the Bulldogs league championship team, joined the Nyssa coaching staff in 2022 as an assistant for the school’s junior varsity team after a college career at Idaho State College.
Last season, he replaced former head coach Lance Lovett.
News tip? Contact reporter Steven Mitchell at [email protected].
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