Calabasas High football has their sights set high despite transitions
CALABASAS, Calif. (BVM) 鈥� Following a Marmonte League title and a trip to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division I playoffs last season, it seems Calabasas High School鈥檚 football team will have a much different experience this year.
The Calabasas Coyotes knew they would be saying goodbye to four-star dual-threat quarterback Jaden Casey and four-star receivers Johnny Wilson and Jermaine Burton this year after graduation. Other notable graduates include three-star running back Jyden King, three-star defensive back Lamont Narcisse and three-star defensive end Leshaun Bell. These departures came as no surprise.
What did come as a surprise was the resignation of head coach Chris Claiborne following the team鈥檚 successful season. Claiborne now serves as the Offensive Quality Control Analyst for the University of Southern California Trojans.
Along with Claiborne鈥檚 exit came a slew of transfers including quarterback Dylan Gebbia, running back Jaylen Thompson and wide receiver Larry Turner-Gooden. Gebbia transferred to New Alemany and Thompson and Turner-Gooden now are at St. Bernard.
听Now, the Coyotes will lean on new head coach Cary Harris as they begin to rebuild. Harris, who played under Pete Carroll at USC, was drafted in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. He previously coached at Moorpark College and, more recently, Glendale High School. In his two seasons as head coach of Glendale, Harris went 2-17. This was amid a revamp of the team. Under Harris, the Glendale team grew from a mere eight players to about 70.
Harris brings along Ian Dahlquist from Glendale to serve as a special teams coach and defensive line assistant. Other staff includes Meyer Linter who will serve as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and Robb Butler as the wide receiver and defensive back coach.
In addition to the new coaches, Calabasas will look to up-and-coming stars to continue their success. Senior Tyler Ward will be stepping up as quarterback, while Jaylen Blizzard and Amoni Butler look to fill the position of wide receiver. At the time of publication, none of them have received a Division I offer.
These young men have big shoes to fill, but know what they are up against. They often voice their feelings about their underdog status on . It seems that their obstacles are motivating them to put in the work this off-season, and the players are hungry for action.
The Coyotes have been holding limited workouts regularly starting last month after getting approval from the Las Virgenes Unified School District. The CIF also that team practices will be allowed starting December, with the football season beginning at the start of 2021.
Clearly, this season will be one for the books. With a global pandemic setting the scene for a new Calabasas team, only time will tell if these Coyotes are the real deal. Hopefully their hard work and training during this extended off-season will pay off. As for Harris, he successfully built up Glendale鈥檚 team from the ground, fingers crossed he can do the same for Calabasas.
