Aaron Souza walks behind a wall of Orestimba High football players as they stretch and ready themselves for this week’s matchup with three-time defending Sac-Joaquin Section champion Escalon.

“It finally feels like football weather,” says Souza, who occasionally peppers the chilly afternoon air with short blasts from the whistle clenched between his teeth.

For Souza, it’s simply the start of another week of preparation. But really, it’s unlike any Monday practice the Warriors’ head coach has conducted in his 15 seasons helming his alma mater. Orestimba’s players are being put through their paces by a coach with 100 career victories under his belt — a milestone they brought about last week with a 21-17 victory over Ripon Christian.

“It was not something we discussed,” says Souza, now 100-59 overall, by far the winningest coach in school history. “Friday was about the kids and their Senior Night. I’d never burden them with something like that. Sure, it was in the back of my mind, but we were focused on winning on Senior Night and putting us in the best possible position to have a home playoff game.”

While Souza didn’t mention the milestone to his players, public address announcer Marc Chittim did. Just before kickoff, Chittim let the crowd know that Souza was shooting for win No. 100 against the Knights.

“We were down 17-14 at the half and I told the kids that it wasn’t about me,” says Souza. “I didn’t want them to play the second half with any burden. And that’s always been the approach I’ve taken. I’ve had 15 years of great players and great assistants, and principals and superintendents that have been so supportive. I just happen to be the guy driving the bus.”

Souza knew he wanted to be a coach when he graduated from OHS in 2002.

“I tell people all the time and they chuckle, but when I was in high school, I won seven games in four years,” says Souza, who went on to play two years at Modesto Junior College and two at Menlo College, a class overachiever who outworked everybody else on the roster. “One of the driving factors for me was to return here after college and make this program as respectable as it was in the 1970s under Roger Pauletto. I wanted to give the kids the Orestimba that I’d always heard about.”

Souza has done that, and more. He passed Pauletto as the school’s winningest coach back in 2018. And he’s guided the Warriors to their first playoff victories and their first appearance in a section final (2023).

“It was an honor to be the quarterback and be able to lead my team to the victory,” says Jacob Valenzuela. “Coach and I are always texting and joking around with each other. I’ve never had a relationship like that with a coach. It’s cool that we get along.”

When Souza took over in 2010, he inherited a program that had not finished better than .500 since 1996.

During his first season, Souza guided OHS to a 6-4 regular-season mark and a playoff berth, finishing at 6-5. His Warriors finished 5-5 the next season, but managed another postseason appearance, and closed the year at 5-6. After missing the playoffs the next two seasons — 5-5 and 1-9 — Souza hasn’t had a losing season since, and he’s missed the playoffs just once in that span.

“Getting to 100 wins is a big deal,” says Central Catholic (Modesto) coach Roger Canepa, the section’s all-time winningest coach with 289 victories. “To be a head a coach that long nowadays is hard to do. The guys coming in now will be lucky to make 10 or 15 years. Congratulations to him. Tell him, ‘Good job.’”

Back at practice, as autumn has finally slipped the punishing grip of summer, and the sun sits lower in the sky, Souza watches his charges finish their warm-up drills before breaking off to work with their specific position coaches.

He is asked if he has another 15 years, another 100 victories, in him.

“I was fortunate to get this job when I was 26 years old, so I’m only 40 now,” says Souza, who remains tied with Pauletto for most league titles in school history, with four. “I enjoy it year to year. I know it’s a cliche, but I take it a year at a time. I’m enjoying what I doing, and I’m very appreciative. I have a deep faith in God and I feel I’ve been put here at this time for a reason.

"And it’s all come together.”

Orestimba’s winningest coaches

Aaron Souza: 100-59

Roger Pauletto: 60-47-3

Mick Tate: 40-75-2

Kenneth Brink 20-11-3

Randy Fareria: 20-30