Ganesha football team looking to improve from tough season

Ganesha Football

Last year was not an enjoyable one for Ganesha football coach Don Cayer. The Giants went just 3-7 (0-4 in the five-0team Miramonte League) and underachieved for the talent Cayer thought he had. He chalked that up to some selfish attitudes and poor team chemistry.

He got rid of a dozen or so players between the end of the season and Christmas and is hoping new team chemistry will translate to a better product on the field.

“I want to have guys out here that I like and kids out here that get along,” he said. “I probably let more stuff go last year than I should have and that’s on me. I don’t want to have another year like that.”

Cayer, starting his fifth year, is optimistic though. The Giants are young but the veteran coach likes the potential.

“We’re going to be young so if we can keep improving we should do pretty well. But everyone looks good this time of year,” he said.

He singles out his backfield as the strength of the team. He is high on freshman Jaylin Sims who moved into the area last year as an eighth grader. Cayer says he has the potential to be as big a factor as Donovan Davis was when he led the area in rushing in 2013.

Junior Zaquand Irby, who did not play last year so he could get academics in order, will also be a big contributor.

Of course a good running game is dependent on a formidable front line. Cayer singled out tackles Diego Mora and Luis Lopez and guard Jacob Delgadillo as the leaders up front.

The biggest question mark will be at quarterback with the departure of three-year starter John Mosqueda. Top candidates are Angel Bernal and senior Tyler Wardsworth. Bernal was the junior varsity quarterback but  Wardsworth is a newcomer better known as the starting center fielder for the baseball team.

Top performers on the defensive side of the ball will be senior defensive end Jaques Wilborn and sophomore middle linebacker Alonso Arce. Cayer said Wilborn will also play some wide receiver-tight end hybrid.

GANESHA SCHEDULE
Aug. 25 – At Sierra Vista
Sept. 1 – Gladstone
Sept. 8 – At Jurupa Valley
Sept. 15 – San Gabriel
Sept. 22 – Montclair
Sept. 29 – At Southlands Christian
Oct. 13 – La Puente
Oct. 20 – At Garey
Oct. 27 – Bassett
Nov. 3 – At Pomona

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Miramonte League honors: Football

Athlete of Year: Ny’Gurrion Crouch, Sr., Pomona
Lineman of Year: Mykil Walker, Sr., Pomona
Offensive MVP: Quinton Groves, Jr., La Puente
Defensive MVP: Oliver Deerr, Sr., Pomona

First team offense
QB: Marcus Ruiz, Sr., Bassett
QB: John Mosqueda, Sr., Ganesha
WR: Maximiliano Ramirez, Jr., La Puente
WR: Matthew Marin, Sr., La Puente
WR: Christopher Long, Jr., Bassett
TE: Ronnie Mireles, Sr., La Puente
OL: Guillermo Murrillo, Sr., Garey
OL: Andrew Cilia, Sr., La Puente
OL: Oliver Deerr, Sr., Pomona
OL: Caesar Escobar, Sr., Garey
OL: Jose Ojeda, Jr., LaPuente
K: Marcos Picaz, Sr., La Puente
RB: Marshon Smith, Soph., Pomona
RB: Samuel Lee, Jr., Garey
RB: Sal Tapia, Jr., Garey

First team defense
DL: Joel Trujillo, Sr., Pomona
DL: Hussayn Qawl, Sr., Pomona
DL: Christian Godinez, Sr., Garey
DL: Andrew Cilia, Sr., La Puente
OLB: Anthony Acosta, Sr., Pomona
OLB: Nathan Cervantes, Jr., Pomona
OLB: Jesse Torres, Jr., La Puente
ILB: Thali Cobb, Soph., Pomona
ILB: Chris Lam, Jr., La Puente
ILB: Elder Ceron, Sr., Garey
CB: Robin Wiley, Sr., Pomona
CB: Nathan Priet, Sr., La Puente
S: Ricky Lua, Sr., Pomona
S: Eddie Reyes, Sr., La Puente
S: Jose Alatorre, Sr., Garey
P: Ramiro Gonzalez, Jr., Bassett

Second team offense
QB: Daniel Flores, Jr., Garey
QB: Daniel Limon, Soph., Pomona
WR: Sam Lee, Jr., Garey
WR: Albert Louis, Sr., Ganesha
WR: Quinn Peoples, Jr., Bassett
TE: John Rordiguez, Sr., Garey
OL: Joel Trujillo, Sr., Pomona
OL: Gustavo Ramirez, Sr., Bassett
OL: Edgar Canares, Sr., Garey
OL: Carlos Espindola, Sr., La Puente
OL: Jesus Seanez, Sr., Bassett
OL: Mark Munoz, Jr., Bassett
K: Gerardo Cazarus, Sr., Ganesha
K: Gregg Torres, Sr., Garey
RB: Kenny Johnson, Sr., Ganesha
RB: Michael Santana, Jr., Garey

Second team defense
DL: Pedro Macias, Sr., Pomona
DL: Jose Aceves, Sr., La Puente
DL: Lucio Hernandez, Sr., Ganesha
DL: Favian Avila, Sr., Bassett
OLB: Ramiro Gonzalez, Jr., Bassett
OLB: Jesse Turner, Jr., La Puente
ILB: Ronnie Mireles, Sr., La Puente
ILB: Alonzo Arce, Fr., Ganesha
ILB: Christian Rodriguez, Jr., Bassett
CB: Kenny Johnson, Sr., Ganesha
CB: Ricky Santana, Sr., Garey
S: Eddie Gastelum, Sr., Garey
S: Christopher Long,m Jr., Bassett
P: Ramiro Elorza, Sr., Ganesha

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Ganesha football program hopes to continue its progress

Ganesha quarterback John Mosqueda is taken down by Pomona's Javaris Steward and Brian Lamb at Pomona High School in Pomona, CA., Friday, October 16, 2015. (Photo by Jennifer Cappuccio Maher/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin)

Senior quarterback John Mosqueda is the top returning player for a Ganesha team looking to make the playoffs.

The Ganesha football program has made great strides under coach Don Cayer. The Giants just missed a playoff berth last year but the potential to get one the coming fall appears to be there.

“We have some young players with a lot of potential,” Cayer said. “You never know how quickly those guys are going to catch on but I really like the pieces we have. We could surprise some people.”

The curtain comes up on the new season on Aug. 26 with Ganesha playing host to Mark Keppel, a school out of Alhambra coming off an 0-10 season.

The Giants were 7-3 overall and placed third in the Miramonte League at 2-2. Normally the top three in each league advance to the playoffs but the Miramonte is just a five-team league and the CIF had the option to take just two which it did.

It was a devastating blow for Cayer, who was looking to snap the school’s 24-year playoff drought in the sport.

“We thought we did enough to get in but other people had other ideas,” Cayer said. “This year we hope to finish in the top two so it isn’t an issue.”

Much of the room for optimism is the return of senior quarterback John Mosqueda, who threw for 858 yards last year.

Cayer also thinks Mosqueda has more talent surrounding him this year.  Among the other veterans are senior wide receiver-defensive back Albert Louis and senior Kenny Johnson was was moved around to different positions but looks to be a major contributor at running back.

Among the promising newcomers are Alonzo Arce, a freshman slated to start at middle linebacker, and wide receiver Jacques Wilborn, a junior who has moved around to different schools but looks to  have found a home at Ganesha.

The influx of young talent is the result for Cayer, also the school’s athletic director, working the pipeline from Marshall Middle School, Ganesha’s primary feeder school. his objective: to make sure the kids that should come to his school actually do so instead of going elsewhere.

Defending champion Pomona still appears to be the team to beat in league play but the Red Devils graduated most of their key players and there appears to be balance through the rest of the league.

Ganesha was put in Division 13 along with 84 other schools in the the new CIF alignments. That is the bottom division. Cayer said many of his assistant coaches were offended by that placement but he is taking it in stride and looking at it as incentive.

“When you look at what we have done, or not done. Where else would they put us?” he said. “We haven’t made the playoffs in more than 20 years. It’s up to us to go out there and prove we need to be placed higher.”

 

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Ganesha’s Anthony Longsworth headed to Greenville College

Versatile football standout Anthony Longsworth of Ganesha has decided to attend NCAA Division III Greenville College (Ill.).

The 6-foot-1, 180-pounder excelled at running back, defensive back and linebacker in leading the Giants to a 7-3 record and third-place showing in the Miramonte League.

Longsworth has not visited the school yet but did extensive research on line and has been in communication with the coaches.

“The coaches were very down to earth and I felt they had my best interest in mind,” Longsworth said. “I have been talking to them a lot and I could tell they wanted me.”

The Ganesha standout says he doesn’t prefer one position over another and said the coaches are considering him in both sides of the ball.

Longsworth was a first-team All-League athlete, excelling for the Giants after transferring from Silverado his sophomore year.

Longsworth plans to major in business with a minor in criminal justice.

 

 

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Little drama left in Miramonte League in football playoff picture

Ganesha quarterback John Mosqueda is taken down by Pomona's Javaris Steward and Brian Lamb at Pomona High School in Pomona, CA., Friday, October 16, 2015. (Photo by Jennifer Cappuccio Maher/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin)

There is very little left up for grabs come Friday night in the Miramonte League.

Reigning CIF champion Pomona (7-2, 3-0) is already assured of at least a share of the league title and since it has already beaten Bassett (6-3, 3-1) it has secured the top seeding out of the league as well.

Pomona will be finishing the regular season with a home game against La Puente (3-6, 1-2) Friday night.

The Red Devils, ranked fourth in the Mid-Valley Division, have won five straight games. Throw out the forfeit win against Garey and Pomona has outscored its last four foe by a cumulative 230-44. It has been ridiculously easy.

Ganesha (6-3, 1-2) is the team still on the bubble but with the easiest game left. The Giants have a road game at Garey (1-8, 0-3) and can assure themselves third place with a victory because even if La Puente was to upset Pomona, Ganesha beat La Puente head to head.

A third-place team in the five-team league is not guaranteed a playoff berth but Ganesha coach Don Cayer says he has it on good authority that if his team wins it will be in because there are four at-large berths in the division.

Ganesha hasn’t made the playoffs since 1997 and hasn’t won six games since the same year. If there is any danger of the Giants looking past their city rival they need to look back only as far as last year when they were in similar situation and lost to Garey 19-7.

“There is definitely unfinished business,” Cayer said. “Our guys haven’t forgotten.”

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Improving Ganesha football team looking to move to 5-1

Don’t look now but the Ganesha Giants are 4-1 with a good probability of making that 5-1 when they host winless Western Christian for Homecoming on Friday

Coach Don Cayer’s team was 4-6 a year ago so the prospect of a winning season is welcomed. Cayer isn’t getting too far ahead of himself because last year the Giants were 4-2, only to lose their last four games of the season.

The measuring stick is that Cayer’s schedule is the same as last year with the exception of one team so he thinks he can assess where his team stands.

“The big difference is last year we were 4-2 and we could have been 2-4,” he said, noting two 7-6 wins. “This year we’re beating these teams convincingly. For the first time in a long time here we have games on the schedule we should win.”

Junior quarterback John Mosqueda has led the resurgence. He has passed for 404 yards but is the leading rusher as well. After that it has been a successful running back by committee with seniors Anthony Longsworth, Mauriyon O’Brien and Jaylon Dean, with Dean also an integral factor on the other side of the ball.

The receiving core is also a balanced one.

The Giants start Miramonte League play on Oct. 9 against Bassett which also also provide a litmus test. Last year Ganesha lost to Bassett 42-0 and it came on the heels of a loss to Garey.

“We couldn’t have been any flatter that game than if we had been plowed over by steamroller,” Cayer said. “Playing them the first game will tell us exactly where we stand.”

Cayer still singles out Pomona as the team to beat.

“The graduated some players but they’re still the big dog until someone knocks them off.”

 

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Two-way standout Jaylon Dean transfers from Kaiser to Ganesha

Christmas came a little early for Ganesha football coach Don Cayer.

Jaylon Dean has transferred from Sunkist League champion Kaiser to Ganesha, Cayer confirmed.

The CIF has already ruled him eligible for the coming season. Dean, a 5-foot-10, 225 pounder, is expected to make an immediate impact.

“He will be a difference maker, especially on defense because that’swhere he has played the most,” Cayer said. “We have some skill players on offense but he gives us more options there.

Dean was an All-League selection last year on defense with 53 tackles and four sacks. Cayer says he will use him on both sides of the ball.

“We don’t get a transfer of this caliber that often,” he said. “We’re talking an All-League kid on a first place team. We’re excited to have him.”

Ganesha opens the season at Mark Keppel on Aug. 28.

 

 

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Ganesha football program taking small steps forward

When you’re football program isn’t steeped in tradition, you have to appreciate the smaller signs of progress. Such is the case with the Ganesha Giants.

Coach Don Cayer’s team improved from 3-7 in 2013 to 4-6 last fall. But they were also more competitive in games they lost.

Unfortunately modest improvement could have been more significant improvement but Ganesha lost the last four games after a 4-2 start.

Ganesha Football

“After awhile you get sick of being everyone’s doormat,” Cayer said. “We don’t talk about wins and losses. It’s about improvement and getting better each day. If  you do that hopefully it shows in the win column.”

There are other small signs of progress that haven’t shown up in the win column yet. Cayer is excited about his incoming freshman class and the number of players coming from his feeder schools who aren’t going elsewhere.

Also, Cayer, who also serves as the school’s athletic director, says his team had three home games where the team drew 1,000 spectators.

“It may not sound like much to some but I remember games when I was an assistant and you could count the number of people in the stands at kickoff,” he said.

The biggest on-field problem with the team last year was offense. Two of the games the team won were by the score of 7-6. Most troublesome was the offensive line. In fact it was such a sore spot that Cayer has taken over responsibility for the part of the team this year.

“Now it’s solely my fault if it’s still an issue,” he said.

The good news is that Cayer has nine returning starters on offense are seniors.  One of those who is not a senior is junior quarterback John Mosqueda, one of the players in the revolving door at that position last year.

Cayer admits Mosqueda just wasn’t ready last year but he tried everyone out of necessity and likes the improvement he has seen him thus far.

The strength of the offense appears to be wide receiver with a core that includes senior Marcione Harvey, Brian Chisholm, Albert Lewis and marcus Cooper. Harvey was in the program as an underclassmen, but moved to Arizona briefly, only to return before the school year was over. He is the speedster in the bunch.

Jimmy Lopez and Anthony Longsworth, both seniors, should see time in the backfield.

There will be several players seeing action on both sides of the ball with Longsworth and Chisholm also doing time in the secondary.

The top performer should be senior linebacker Mauriyon O’Brien, a 6-foot-3, 220-pounder whom Cayer says is drawing Division I interest.

Seniors Miguel Puentes and Samuel Davis will be on both sides of the line.

The schedule has been downgraded a bit with San Gabriel and Western Christian the new foes. The season begins on Aug. 28 at Mark Keppel, a team the Giants defeated last year.

The first home game will be the following week, Sept. 4, against Gladstone. Those were the two teams the Giants beat 7-6 last year.

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Ganesha’s Dexter Sumner decides on a college

Ganesha High School football standout Dexter Sumner has signed with NAIA Mayville State (Md.)

.He played quarterback for the Giants out of necessity but will likely play a slot or defensive back in college, according to Ganesha coach Don Cayer.

Sumner, a 5-foot-11, 160-pounder, was a second-team All-Miramonte League selection. He was a two-year starter for the Giants.

Mayville is coming off a 2-9 season. It plays in the North Star Athletic Association.

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