Calabasas Football Ready to Take Next Step, Star Player Says

By recent standards, it was a good season for football last year, a 3-7 record and a second-to-last finish in the Marmonte League – as opposed to last – for a program that was 3-57 over the previous six seasons.

There were plenty of high fives to go around, as Calabasas won more than one league game for the first time since joining the Marmonte -- and now the Coyotes want to take it to the next level.

They don’t have realistic visions of winning the league title – the chance of that happening is pretty much impossible with national powers Oaks Christian, St. Bonaventure and Westlake in the league, plus Moorpark and Thousand Oaks almost always making the playoffs, too – but with new coach Christian Pierce in place, plus a combination of key returning players and promising newcomers, there is an air of excitement.

Caleb Madden can feel it. He’s Calabasas’ standout receiver/defensive back – probably the top player on the team on both sides of the football – and the senior believes in his teammates.

“I think we’re coming along. I think we’re going to do pretty well,” Madden said. “We’ve got some juniors, and we’re coming together. I like our quarterback, Brandon Marin. He’s talented, and we have good receivers – that’s our strength.”

Pierce, a former defensive coordinator under Larry Edwards, who retired after last season but remains athletic director, has deep roots with the players, having come through the ranks and coached some of them in youth football, including Madden.

“I’ve known him for a long time, and he’s going to be a good leader for us. He’s going to lead us in the right direction,” Madden said.

Staring Calabasas down the face is the Marmonte League, a nine-game terrain that begins in Week Two – not much time to prepare for the likes of Oaks Christian, St. Bonaventure and Westlake and their coteries of major-college bound returning standouts – but there’s no reason the Coyotes should not be able to hang with some of the others like Simi Valley, Royal, Agoura and Newbury Park; they’ll have to if they want to even think about finishing .500.

“This league, it’s a pretty tough league, but I think we can handle it,” Madden said. “We can do it.”

The more wins the better, and for Madden, he would love to get as much exposure as possible because he has plans of playing college football, perhaps even at Stanford.

“That’s my dream school,” he said.

In the meantime, there is business to be taken care of, as Calabasas is in the midst of a three-day break, and once the Coyotes return, they’ll put on the pads and starting hitting each other – something they’re probably eager to do after a summer filled with conditioning, weight-lifting and seven-on-seven competitions.

LAST LAPS

Viewpoint’s football team participated in one last workout today before starting a three-week break, and coach Chris Adamson said the team deserves it.

“I feel pretty good where we are,” he said. “The kids have done more this summer than we’ve ever asked them to do before, a lot of seven-on-sevens, a much fuller schedule, and they’ve really responded. They’ve earned a break, though I do hope they continue to work out.”

Adamson says the kids can’t wait to start hitting.

“They’re ready,” he said.

Also, in the aftermath of Montclair Prep of Van Nuys dropping its sports programs, three football players have inquired about transferring to Viewpoint; per Southern Section rules, all transfers from Montclair Prep would be eligible immediately without having to change residences.

“It’s pretty incredible how that whole thing went down,” Adamson said.

Stay tuned.