New coaching staff brings in new system
FOOTBALL Settling into the new season, the team is off to a slow start after losing its first three games.
The Brahmas’ six-year reign as the winner of the Branding Iron ended on Sept. 1 in a 21-15 loss against Walnut.
September 13, 2017
It’s a new year, new season and new system as the Diamond Bar High School football team takes on its first season under the guidance of head coach Kevin Argumosa and his veteran coaching staff.
With over 200 years of combined coaching experience as well as being together for over ten years, the last six at Los Altos, Argumosa’s staff is fully confident that the Brahmas will be able to learn and flourish in the team’s new offensive and defensive systems. However, the staff knows that the team will face a few bumps along the way, having lost its first three games of the preseason, which includes ending DB’s six-year streak in the Branding Iron match with a 21-15 loss against Walnut.
“We try to make every practice successful, and in every game, we try to do everything we can. We’re not going to be able to go 10-0. I’d love to, but the reality is that we need work,” Argumosa said.
Since April, Argumosa has worked on implementing his offensive and defensive schemes and formations. While some of the plays may be similar to previous years’ systems, learning the new verbiage has been an uphill battle.
“On both offense and defense, you deal with different terminology. Just getting them acclimated to what we’re saying, to what we mean has been a battle. It’s tough,” Argumosa said
However, understanding the language of the new systems was not the only change the players had to face as they are also working with a defense that has only two returning starters and an offense led by a sophomore quarterback, Dylan Karanickolas.
Yet Karanickolas is not the only underclassmen taking lead of the offense: sophomore Jonathan Song has the responsibility of anchoring the offensive line as the starting center.
“They’ve been helping each other out as much as the veterans, but because they’re the two pups in the huddle, they’re practicing extra and helping each other out,” Argumosa said. “They’re going to make mistakes, but they’re able to make the mistakes roll off their shoulders and continue to get better in the game.”
Though the underclassmen have taken on a large portion of the offensive responsibilities, seniors such as receiver Shane Wells and linemen Matthew Rodriguez and Matthew Reedy bring experience to the table.
According to Argumosa, Reedy and Rodriguez help Song anchor the o-line through their words and energy. Wells, on the other hand, lets his playing do the speaking as he has been the team’s number one receiver since last season, during which he caught for over 1,100 yards and 10 TDs.
At times, the Brahmas have had flashes of success such as driving the ball to Walnut’s redzone with one minute left and nearly defeating Alta Loma, a team that dominated DB last season, 48-28. Dating back to April, Argumosa’s main goal has been and still is to become a four-quarter team and play with the same level of intensity every single minute.
“We’ve been sporadic. We’ll do good first and third quarter or second and fourth quarter. The moment we put everything together, things are going to change tremendously.”
The Brahmas have two games left in the preseason against Brea Olinda and San Dimas.
