SGV/WHITTIER PREP SPORTS ZONE FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2023: DIAMOND BAR AND ROWLAND
Diamond Bar is coming off a huge year; Rowland looking to improve on 2022's solid performance.
Diamond Bar High School
Coach: Matt Castnaeda
2022 Record: 12-2
2022 Calpreps.com Rating: 10.3
Last Six Year Calpreps.com Avg. Rating: -8.3
Number of Returning Players: 17
Number of All-League Players Returning: 9
OFFENSE
Offensive Coordinator: Matt Castnaeda
Number of Off. Returning Starters: 6
Number of OL Returning: 4
Number of Off Skill Players Returning: 3
Rushing yards: 2,261 (161.5 Avg Per Game, 6.0 Yds Per Carry)
Passing Yards: 2,533 (180.9 Avg Per Game, 12.4 Yds Per Carry)
Key Offensive Skills Players Returning
Kai Jenkins 12 5'9'' 165 WR/DB; All CIF, All SGV, All League, LA Rams All-Star, interest D1 FCS
Quinton Mendoza 11 6'1'' 175 QB; All Hacienda League
Brian Vu 11 5'9''150; WR
Abram Mejia 12 5'11' '160 WR/DB
Key Offensive Lineman Returning
Nolan Kim 12 6'3'' 300, C; All CIF, All SGV, All League/ interest D1 FCS
Jake Rayke 12 6'3'' 220 RT; All CIF, All SGV, All League/ interest D1 FCS
Morgan Magee 12 6'3'' 245 LT; All Hacienda League / interest D2/NAIA
Blaine Magee 12 6'3'' 220 TE; All Hacienda League / interest D1 FCS, D2, NAIA
DEFENSE
Defensive Coordinator: Jaspar Chavez
Number of Def. Returning Starters: 7
Number of DL Returning: 3
Number of Def. Skill Players Returning: 5
Key Defensive Skills Players Returning
Brian Vu 11 5'9'' 150 DB/WR. All Hacienda League
Matthew Galvan 11 6'1''205, MLB; All Hacienda League, all CIF, Prep Redzone Top CA LB
Nico Macias 12 All Hacienda League
Jeremy Torres
Key Defensive Lineman Returning
Morgan Magee 12, 6'3''245, DT; All Hacienda League
Alex Xiao 12, 5'11", 200, DE; All Hacienda League x2
Blaine Magee 12, 6'3'', 210, DE
TOP NEWCOMING/TRANSFER SKILL PLAYERS
Luis Vasquez 12, 6'3''215, TE/DE; FCS interest
TOP NEWCOMING/TRANSFER OFF/DEF LINEMAN
Robert Neabors 12, 6'4'', 300, RG; DBHS student, basketball, did not previously play football.
Henry Liang 12, 5'8'', 165, RB; Diamond Bar student, did not play junior year, played fresh, soph year.
COMMENTS FROM COACH CASTNAEDA: Coming off Hacienda League title and CIF finals appearance, best season in 22 years we have a lot to work on with losing some key seniors, JV team won league returning key pieces in top area players with Kai Jenkins & Nolan Kim. Strength up front with Nolan Kim, Morgan & Blain Magee, Jake Rayke & newcomer Rob Neabors. Returning all-league qb who played as soph but did not play in playoffs with senior qb back from injury, jv qb Tristan skipper competing for role. RB playing senior year Henry Liang, did not play jr year, but played soph season, MLB Matt Galvan to have RB duties with returning junior Issac Insuasti. Key Defensive players in all cif all league and top So Cal LB Matt Galvan - junior, ranked and interest from various colleges, key player to watch Kai Jenkins, Brian Vu, Alex Xiao, Nico Macias, Jeremy Torres, Jake Rayke all return D line, led by our defensive coordinator Jasper Chavez. :ast year we had 0 transfers and won league and played in finals in div 9. this year we have some new faces from current dbhs students that figure to be key players. Top newcomer basketball center, Rob Neabors, senior 6'4" 300 to be factor and transfer TE/DE Luis Vasquez senior.
2023 Schedule (with 2022 season records)
Week 0: vs. Esperanza (2-8)
Week 1: (Sat.) at Chino (6-6, CIF-SS Div. 11 Quarterfinalists)
Week 2: (Thurs.) vs Covina (7-5, CIF-SS Div. 10 First Rd.) at Covina District Field
Week 3: vs. El Toro (2-8)
Week 4: at Paloma Valley (9-3, CIF-SS, Div. 7 Quarterfinalists)
Week 5: vs. Baldwin Park (10-3, CIF-SS Div. 10 Quarterfinalists)
Week 6: at Trabuco Hills (7-4, CIF-SS Div. 6 First Rd.)
Week 7: BYE
Week 8: at Nogales (6-4)
Week 9: vs. Walnut (11-4, CIF-SS Div. 11 Champions)
Week 10: vs. Ontario (4-6)
CRYSTAL BALL: What a year it was for first year coach Castnaeda as the Brahmas went 9-1 in the regular season (we projected an 8-2 record) and advanced the finals of CIF before losing to Laguna Beach. DBar was one of our “Surprise Teams” of 2022 and made us look really good. That was then this is now. Gone are QB Lewis, RB Jones and WR Bernardino to graduation. But if you are looking for this team to take a step back, that might be a huge mistake. Backup QB Mendoza (53-101, 857 yds, 10 TD, INT) returns and there is nothing wrong with an incumbent QB returning for another season. He’ll have a big-time receiver at his disposal in Jenkins (35 receptions, 579 yards, 8 TD’s - 2nd most yards behind Bernardino). The big question comes at the running back position where “Zay” Jones is gone due to graduation. That’s 2,000+ yards that walked through the graduation ceremony that will more than likely be hard to replace. That position will be under the microscope. If can find a suitable RB, he’ll have the luxury of running behind one of the more experienced offensive lines in the area with size and strength. Kim, Rayke and the Magee brothers will be a force to be dealt with all season long. Defensively, the front seven could be one of the best in the area. Anchoring “the box" will be highly regarded Linebacker Matt Galvin (D-1 prospect). Really excited to see how much Brian Vu has improved as defensive back. The schedule is not too tough, but we’ll get some major clues with nonleague games against Baldwin Park and Trabuco Hills in back-to-back weeks. While we don’t think 8-2 is in the offering with the team, we like for them to once again win the Hacienda and then roll the dice in the playoffs and see what happens.
Projected record: 7-3
Rowland High School
Coach: Ryan Jacobson
2022 Record: 5-5
2022 Calpreps.com Rating: -22.4
Number of Returning Players: 37
Number of All-League Players Returning: 2
OFFENSE
Offensive Coordinator: Ronald Cooper
Number of Off. Returning Starters: 7
Number of OL Returning: 2
Number of Off Skill Players Returning: 3
Rushing yards: 1,412 yards (141.2 yards per game; 10.8 avg per carry)
Passing Yards: 224 Yards (11.2 yards per completion)
Key Offensive Skills Players Returning
Damien Arrieta 10 5'9" 145 QB
Ryan Hindi 12 5'11" 175 RB 1st Team All League Honors as a TE Last year
Mario Egere 11 5"11" 195 RB
Key Offensive Lineman Returning
Kevin Lopez 11 6'1" 225 LT had a monster off season in the weight room
DEFENSE
Defensive Coordinator: Barry Alford
Number of Def. Returning Starters: 6
Number of DL Returning: 2
Number of Def. Skill Players Returning: 3
Key Defensive Skills Players Returning
Ryan Hindi
Key Defensive Lineman Returning
Cy Navarrette 12 6' 235 Nose/DT
Kevin Lopez 11 6'1" 225 DT
TOP NEWCOMING/TRANSFER SKILL PLAYERS
Patrick Lujan 10 6'1" 250 C
Ethan Lopez 11 6' 175 WR
Sergio Rodriquez 10 6'2" 230 LG
COMMENTS FROM JACOBSON: We are very optimistic about the season. We have had one of the best Spring and Summer camps we have had in over a decade. Our numbers are good, especially with the linemen. The growth of the returners in the weight room and on the field has been exciting to watch. The young sophomore linemen, led by Sergio Rodriguez and Patrick Lujan has everyone excited for the season. Damien Arrieta is entering second season as the QB and has shown tremendous growth and leadership during camp. Senior leadership has also stepped up and kept the vibe where it needed to be every day.
2023 Schedule (with 2022 season records)
Week 0: at Eastside (2-8)
Week 1: at Montclair (3-7)
Week 2: vs. Wilson (1-9)
Week 3: at Walnut (11-4, 11-4, CIF-SS Div. 11 Champions)
Week 4: (Thurs.) at Ganesha (3-7)
Week 5: at Nogales (6-4)
Week 6: BYE
Week 7: vs. Glendale (1-8)
Week 8: at Pomona (4-6)
Week 9: vs. Chino (6-6, CIF-SS, Div. 11 Quarterfinalists)
Week 10: vs. Covina (7-5, CIF-SS Div. 10 First Round)
CRYSTAL BALL: Finally, a team that we had pegged correctly last year. We had the Raiders projected to go 5-5 and that is exactly how they finished the year but didn’t make the postseason. But you have to like the improvement the program has made from 3-7 in 2021. Eric Egere, one of the most underrated running backs in the area, is gone but his younger brother Mario is returning and will be counted on for production. Soph QB1 Arrieta is back, and we are anxious to see if he has made significant progress in weight with a full offseason in the weight room. Jacobson like the potential in Kevin Lopez “Monster offseason in weight room,” so he’ll be watched closely throughout the season. Defensively, the defensive line appears to be on point, but it’s the back seven that has us a bit concerned. Young players that lack the Friday night experience. But, fortunately for those groups, the schedule allows them to ease their way into the deep end of the swimming pool. Only two teams had records above .500 last year and that works right into the Raiders wheelhouse. The last two weeks of the season will be the grinder with games against Chino and Covina. I think team has a real good shot of making the playoffs and shocking a few people in the first two rounds. It gets a little dicey after that, but this is a program that is on the rise and will only get better with each year that goes by.
Projected record: 6-4
