Damian Staricka named new football coach at Chino

Chino High School has filled a couple of coaching vacancies with Damian Staricka taking over the football program and Diane Murillo named to head the boys basketball program.

Staricka succeeds Jesse Ceniceros who stepped down earlier this month after directing the program for two years. He said at the time he didn’t plan on taking another head job but ended got named head coach at El Monte days later.

Staricka was an assistant under Ceniceros, coaching the secondary and serving as scout team coordinator.

The Cowboys underachieved last season, going just 4-7 despite returning 17 starters.

Staricka is in his second year as a science teacher on campus, He has also worked in the girls basketball program under head coach Jonathan Davis.

His last head football coaching position came in the High Desert at Granite Hills High School in 2013 and 2014.

“There is a lot of potential here so I’m happy for the opportunity,” he said.
Staricka said he would not run the double-wing offense on which Ceniceros was dependent. He has only been working with his team for a week so he hasn’t had enough time to assess his personnel before deicing what type of offense would be best.

He said worth ethic will be a big factor.

“We need to get back to working hard, bring your lunch pail to work and buying in,” he said. “Kids better not show up in August and think they’re going to play. The work has to start now.”

Staricka is a 1989 graduate of Big Bear high School. He played two years at University of San Diego, then transferred to Nicholls State where he played baseball.

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Chino football coach Jesse Ceniceros steps down

After two years directing the Chino High School football program, coach Jesse Ceniceros has stepped down.

Ceniceros cited the desire to focus on family.

“I have been a head coach the last 13 years and I just think it’s time to hit the reset button,” he said. “I love everyone here at Chino but I need to focus on my family right now.”

Ceniceros plans to remain at the school as a special education teacher, a field he has been in for the last two decades.

In addition to focusing on family he says he’d like to get a teaching credential in physical education.

The Cowboys were 13-11 overall and 4-7 in Hacienda League play his two years.

The team was 5-5 in 2014 the year before his arrival, then improved to a 9-4 mark in his inaugural season.

He admits last season’s 4-7 was a disappointment given the number of starters he had returning.

He has not given up on coaching but says he just need a break for now.

“There are so many obligations that go into being a head coach,” he said. “I’ll be back at some point when the time is right.”

Athletic director Mike Hinkle says the school will being the search for Cenicero’s replacement next week.

Chino is just the fourth school to have an off-season football coaching change. There are newcomers at Los Osos, Claremont and Diamond Bar.

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Hacienda League honors: Football

Los Altos’ Tyler Nevens (23) and Charter Oak will meet on Friday for the Hacienda League football title. 
(Photo by Libby Cline / Pasadena Star-News)

MVP: Tyler Nevens, Los Altos
Offensive MVP: Brian Casteel, Charter Oak
Defensive MVP: Jason Jones, Los Altos
Offensive Lineman of Year: Nate Aceves, Charter Oak
Defensive Lineman of Year: Andrew Manuele, Los Altos

First team offense
C: Gabeial Estrada, Los Altos
T: Andrew Garcia, Los Altos
T: Andy Trujillo, Charter Oak
G: Oscar Villa, Los Altos
G: Nate Aceves, Charter Oak
G: Brandon Serrano, Chino
QB: Kody Olmos, Los Altos
RB: Aldrew Almazan, Chino
RB: Anthony Romero, West Covina
RB: Jered Arellano, Walnut
RB: Isaac Rodriguez, West Covina
WR: Jermaine Braddock, Charter Oak
WR: Trey Green, Diamond Ranch
WR: Quintus Alton, West Covina
K: Hunter white, Los Altos

First team defense
DL: Andrew Manuele, Los Altos
DL: Mario Mora, Charter Oak
DL: Andrew Garcia, Los Altos
DL: Julius Suliafu, Diamond Ranc
DL: Elijah Griffin, West Covina
DB: Willie Morris, Chino
DB: Anthony Lopez, Los Altos
DB: Trey Green, Diamond Ranch
DB: Robert Ramirez, Los Altos
DB: Alec Flanagan, Diamond Ranch
LB: Adrian Alfaro, Chino
LB: Michael Salcedo, Los Altos
LB: Nicholas Gonzalez, Los Altos
LB: Dillon Ontiveros, Charter Oak
LB: Gil Vazquez, Los Altos

Second team offense
C: Edwin Castilllo, West Covina
C: Steven Lopez, Chino
T: Daniel Gutgierrez, West Covina
T: Jordan Gibson, Diamond Ranch
G: Juan Lomeli, Los Altos
G: Justin Cortez, West Covina
G: Ryan Roh, Diamond Ranch
G: Andrew Manuele, Los Altos
QB: Justin Tong, Diamond Ranch
QB: Jared Arrellano, Walnut
WR: Willie Morris, Chino
WR: Isaiah Hamilton, Charter Oak
K: Pat Perez, Chino

Second team defense
DL: Justin Cortez, West Covina
DL: Garrett Friou, Charter Oak
DL: William Von Goeben, Walnut
DL: Silas Bravo, West Covina
DL: Trent Adams, Diamond Ranch
DL: Vincent Narvaez, Walnut
LB: Kendal McMillian, Charter Oak
LB: Noah Northey, West Covina
LB: Joseph Romero, Charter Oak
LB: Augie Areallano, Diamond Ranch
DB: B.J. Ubani,West Covina
DB: Michael Anyanwu, Charter Oak
DB: Devon Dixson, West Covina
DB: Quintus, Alton, West Covina
DB: Tim Smith, Charter Oak
DB: Gerald Brown, Walnut

Honorable mention: Nick Avilez, Walnut; Jared Bell, Walnut; Matthew Burks, Diamond Ranch; Steve Canero, West Covina; Aure Charles, Chino; Matt Chavez, Charter Oak; Connor Clark, Diamond Ranch; Samuel Cole, Chino; Devin Dabich, Diamond Ranch; Christian Elias, Walnut; Luke Evans, Charter Oak; Tevita Fuimaono, Chino; Jacob Gaskin, Walnut; Ralph Guizar, Charter Oak; Isaiah Hall, Walnut; Elijah Hayes, Diamond Ranch; Carter Henderson, Diamond Ranch; Matt Lara, Chino; Eric Lee, Charter Oak; Jacob Krawler, West Covina; Ali Lopez, Chino; Anthony Lopez, Los Altos; Jesse Marquez, Walnut; Vincent Merino, Walnut; Dwayne Meyers, Charter Oak; Raymond Moronez, Charter Oak; Julian Nuno, Charter Oak; Juan Ortega, Los Altos; Ryan Quijas, Charter Oak; Joseph Ryciak, Diamond Ranch; Jon Saillant, West Covina; Ray Sinental, Los Altos; Andres Solano, Walnut.

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Chino football looks to build on a stellar showing last season under new coach

Sometimes a team has a lot of ups and downs when it is playing under a new coach. It often means new offensive and defensive schemes, different position coaches as well and a new way of doing just about everything.

For the Chino Cowboys there was no such learning curve last year when Jesse Ceniceros took over. The Cowboys went 9-3, were second in a tough Hacienda League and advanced to the seconds round of the Central Division playoffs before losing to Summit which went undefeated in the regular season.

Good news for the Cowboys and their faithful fan following – the squad returns nine starters on offense and eight on defense. So yes, the Cowboys should be a team we’re talking about for the next several months.

“You never know what’s going to happen in a first year but I was confident in the system that I run and it has been successful everywhere I have been,” said Ceniceros, who came to the school after seven at Norwalk. “We have the same kind of kids here and they really bought into it right away.”

That “system” is the double wing as Ceniceros is a disciple of veteran coach Don Markham who made that his trademark.

The star of the offense, Da’Creh West, is one of the few graduated starters. He ran for 1,826 yards and 21 touchdowns a year ago.  That lead role will now go to junior Andrew Almazan, who ran for 764 yards and seven touchdowns. He stands just 5-foot-7 but worked on strength over the summer to prepare for the larger role in the offense.

Ceniceros compares him to now graduated Chaffey back Mikey Dean who led the area in rushing yardage despite a diminutive stature.

“He is very much in that mold,” Ceniceros said. “He knows how much we’re expecting of him this season and he worked hard to get ready for that workload.”

Among the other top offensive players returning are quarterback Angel Herrera and center Steven Lopez, both seniors.

“Lopez really is the quarterback of that line. He makes all the calls and he’s a very smart kid,” Ceniceros said.

The Cowboys have also been bolstered by the return of senior Brandon Serrano, a lineman who missed all of last season with a back injury sustained in a weight room accident.

There are plenty of quality players back on defense too, the most notable being senior defensive back Willie Morris, who is being sought after by Division I schools and already is an academic qualifier.

Other top players on defense are senior middle linebacker Adrian Alfaro and senior defensive end Matt Lara, who also could see time at tight end.

Ceniceros is also high on senior defensive end-defensive tackle Christian Noble, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound move-in from Texas.

“I really feel good about this team,” Ceniceros said. “I believe we have quality players at every position and there isn’t any reason we can’t compete for a title.”

The season gets underway on Aug. 26 with Chino traveling to Damien.

 

 

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Former NFL standout R.J. Stanford joins Chino coaching staff

Chino High School head football coach Jesse Ceniceros has added a quality assistant to his staff in former NFL standout R.J. Stanford.

Stanford, 27, most recently played for the Miami Dolphins from 2012 to 2014. He also played for the Carolina Panthers from 2010 to 2011.

“It will be great to have someone of his caliber helping us,”Ceniceros said. “He played in college and in the NFL so we’re fortunate to have him.

Stanford, who played in college at Utah, is a graduate of Chino but Ceniceros didn’t know him since this was his first year at at the school.

Ceniceros conducted a football clinic for kids upon his arrival and Stanford offered to help.

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Chino High football team is 2-0 but quality foes lie ahead

The Chino High School football team is off to a 2-0 start but first-year head coach Jesse Ceniceros isn’t overly excited. Why not? Well his team hasn’t exactly beaten top-notch foes. So the jury is still out.

The Cowboys have wins over Baldwin Park 53-20 and South El Monte 41-0 who are a combined 0-6 thus far.

There are facets of the game in which Ceniceros is pleased, others where he isn’t.

Ironically, the place his team still needs work isn’t what one would think. Ceniceros, who came to the school after a coaching stint at Norwalk, is still looking for better execution fro his offense.

He attributes that to a new offense, having institute the double wing which isn’t run by many schools any more. Senior Da’creh West has run for 421 yards and four touchdowns in two games but the coach thinks his team needs to do a better job in the blocking schemes.

“We’re still not where it should be,” Ceniceros said. “It’s a different system and you really have to execute blocking assignments. We’re not doing it consistently.”

The coach has however been pleased with the showing of the defense. Top performers there include junior corner back Willie Morris who had three interceptions in the opening game of the season.

Ceniceros also credited the play of his linebackers – junior Adrian Alfaro and brothers Matt and Jacob Lara.

Next up is a game against Ontario on Friday at Montclair High School. The Cowboys will be facing a team of similar fate as the Jaguars are 3-0 but have yet to play a quality opponent.

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Chino football job being flown outside

The head football job at Chino High School is open to outside applicants. The position closes on Feb. 25.

Former coach Jim Baty resigned in December after two years to spend more time with his family

The Cowboys are coming off a 5-5 season that included a 2-3 in Hacienda League play.

They were 10-11 in his tenure, with a 5-6 showing the previous year that included a .500 season and first round playoff loss.

 

 

 

 

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Jim Baty resigns football position at Chino

Add Chino to the growing list of school’s with head football coaching vacancies.

Jim Baty has resigned, citing family reasons. His wife Rebecca had a job change that has required more of her time so he wants to be available more for their four children who range in age from 5 to 12.

Baty had headed the Cowboys the last two years, directing the Cowboys to a 10-11 mark in that span.

The Cowboys were runner-up to Colony in the Mt. Baldy League in 2013, then lost a first-round playoff game to Paloma Valley.

They were also 5-5 in the past season, going 2-3 in the Hacienda League. They tied for fourth with Diamond Ranch ion the new league.

Baty also sustained a serious knee injury when he got rolled into during an Oct. 17 game against West Covina. He had surgery a week ago and has not been back to school since.

That had a minor role in that because of that he has spent more time with the family, which drove home the need to be available more.

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Chino’s Malik Demby finalizes college choice

Chino defensive back Malik Demby officially signed with New Mexico State, according to Cowboys coach Jim Baty.

Demby, a 6-foot-2, 180-pounder, was the Defensive Player of the Year in the Mt. Baldy League. He managed 74 tackles, 7 sacks and but was used on the other side of the ball. He tallied 307 yards and four touchdowns on 44 carries, in addition to 14 receptions for 281 yards.

He was a second-team All-Inland Valley selection.

Baty said his player visited the school last month and enjoyed the trip enough he didn’t feel it necessary to make any other trips.

 

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