NEWMAN, Calif – This week, the Orestimba High football team was supposed to have its bye and start preparing for Trans-Valley League action next week.
But thanks to their final non-league game being canceled, the Warriors will wrap up their non-league schedule this week.
Orestimba (2-0) will host Lick of San Jose at Coach Roger Pauletto Field at Warrior Stadium this Friday. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
“This was supposed to be the start of our bye week this week,” said Orestimba head coach Aaron Souza. “But the way things worked out, that we found an opponent, I would say that a very positive situation all around. We’re excited about the matchup, and excited they are going to make the trip down here to the Valley.”
This is believed to be the first time that Orestimba and Lick are facing each other in football.
“No common opponents,” said Souza, who is referring to neither school have foes in common from non-league and league. “No history of (playing) each other.”
Lick (0-2) is a member of the seven-school West Valley Athletic League, consisting of San Jose high schools. The Comets posted a 1-9 record during the 2023 season. From the 2021 season through ’23, Lick has a combined record of 2-28.
But the upswing for Lick is that it has approximately 60 players out for the varsity and junior varsity squads, Souza noted. The Comets, according to Souza, is fielding a JV team for the first time in five years.
“They are trying to lay the groundwork to do something positive there,” Souza said.
On offense, the Comets like to run the spread option. Lick runs a 4-3 base defense.
“They have some really good athletes,” said Souza of the Lick squad. “They have a couple of really good linemen. I think they are still trying to find their footing.”
The Warriors were scheduled to host LeGrand in a non-league game on Sept. 6. But the Bulldogs were finishing off a 3-game suspension that the Sac-Joaquin Section handed down after most of the players took part in a brawl against Tranquility’s squad in a scrimmage in LeGrand on Aug. 16. LeGrand lost non-league games to Orestimba, Ripon Christian and Livingston.
The loss left Souza scrambling to find another opponent before the start of league play. Orestimba and Lick reached an agreement to play each other almost two weeks ago.
Workouts
During the Warriors unscheduled bye last week, the workouts were cut down to basics.
“We gave them Monday off for Labor Day,” Souza said. “Then we practiced on Tuesday, lifted (weights) and watched film on Wednesday, we practiced on Thursday and then we left and watched film on Friday.”
Souza felt the lighter workouts benefited the players.
“I felt like it was a very productive week,” Souza said. “I felt that we got everything done that we needed to get done. I felt that we got the fundamentals, we got good efforts out of the kids.
One plus for the Warriors of not having a non-league game last week was not preparing for a game that there were near or low triple-digit temperatures that most high school football teams felt while playing on Sept. 6.
“We also let them catch their breath since we’ve been going since July 29,” Souza said. “I felt it was a good balance of working hard, good balance of rest this time of year.”
After this Friday’s game, Orestimba opens TVL action at Modesto Christian (0-2) on Friday, Sept. 20.
Notes
Entering this Friday’s non-league game, Orestimba quarterback Jacob Valenzuela has completed 22-of-33 passes for 384 yards and five touchdowns.
Warrior running backs Allen Garcia and Nicolas Cuevas each have 174 yards rushing. They have also scored two touchdowns each.
Alan Gamboa has pulled down 9 receptions for 170 yards and two touchdowns. Dylan McCauley also has nine receptions for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
On defense, Cuevas, a linebacker, leads the team in tackles with 20. Colby Cabral, also a linebacker, has 16 tackles.
Defensive linemen Noah Valenzuela and Robert Corella have 10 tackles each.
Mike Bush is a multimedia journalist who was born and raised in the Stanislaus and Merced County areas. Follow him on X/Twitter @MikeBMultimedia and Instagram @mikebushphotography.
