A year after taking over the Los Altos High football program, head coach Mark Adams believes the team’s young talent is ready to take another step forward.
“It’s still a program with a lot of young talent in sophomore and juniors, and we have some really good senior players but in terms of the depth of the program, we are building step by step, and foundationally, we made some progress this year in terms of the process of building a program,” Adams said. “The kids have all bought in, and we are super excited.”
Los Altos finished last season 3-7 overall and 2-3 in the Peninsula Athletic League El Camino Division after Adams was hired late in the summer. The Eagles threw for twice as many yards as any other team in its league last season, with the team looking to be more balanced this year as it fully transitions to a pro-style offense.
“I think that we have the ability to continue to pass well, but if you’re too predictable, that will eventually catch up with you. We feel like with this new offense we can be more effective running the ball than we were last year, and if we are able to do that, that will provide more balance and again make us harder to defend,” Adams said.
While running will be more of a priority, the team’s strength still lies in its receiving core, with Los Altos expected to use seven or eight receivers this season, including juniors Carter Leban and Ryan Apfelberg and senior Bill Chau. Senior all-league performer Gavin Wu is back and excited to provide speed and playmaking on the outside.
“He’s a senior captain and was fantastic for us last year on both offense and defense, but he’s a threat every time he gets the ball,” Adams said. “Super fast and a great field awareness when he runs with the ball. As far as the receiving core, we are really solid.”
The team will also have more offensive line depth and experience thanks to returning center Ever Cisneros and guard Paxton Pardo de Zela, while Luis Rodriguez will be an anchor for the line. The quarterback position remains undecided after the graduation of all-league quarterback Derek Hall. Junior Giancarlo Mendoza, who started several games early last season, is coming off elbow surgery, while junior Max Kremen is also receiving practice reps at quarterback.
On the defensive side, Kameron Smith and Manuel Contreras return as starting linebackers, while senior Colin Chin and Wu will be the team’s cornerbacks.
“I’d say those four names are probably the big leaders of talent coming back,” Adams said.
The Eagles are young and expected to have a significant number of underclassmen starting. On the offensive side, the team has six returning starters, with five on the defense. The team has 16 people coming back who started games last season.
Los Altos has set up challenging non-league games to open the season, including three away games against San Mateo, West Catholic Athletic League opponent Bellarmine and Milpitas. Adams hopes the tough tests will challenge the team and raise expectations as they look to build the program. In the El Camino Division, Los Altos will compete with Fremont, Gunn, Santa Clara, South San Francisco and Terra Nova. Woodside has moved up a division after finishing second in the El Camino Division last year.
“I think the league is a little more balanced, and I think we can compete,” Adams said. “I think our youth will pay off down the road. I think we are building something that’s going to be really exciting. This year, we are going to see how far they come in terms of execution and how far we come as a team.”
Health and rotation remain key to a successful season, and Adams noted the team’s depth is more stable this year, with players committed and putting in hard work this summer.
“I think we have enough talent to have a really good year, but that’s why they play the games, you have to go do that and execute,” Adams said.
Los Altos football schedule
San Mateo vs. Los Altos 7 p.m. Aug. 29
Los Altos vs. Gunderson 7 p.m. Sept. 5
Bellarmine vs. Los Altos 7 p.m. Sept. 12
Milpitas vs. Los Altos 7 p.m. Sept. 19
Los Altos vs. Terra Nova 7 p.m. Oct. 3
Santa Clara vs. Los Altos 7 p.m. Oct. 9
Los Altos vs. Gunn 7 p.m. Oct. 16
Los Altos vs. Fremont 7 p.m. Oct. 23
South San Francisco vs. Los Altos 7 p.m. Oct. 31
Los Altos vs. Mountain View 7 p.m. Nov. 7
