Windsor Jaguars

Windsor Jaguars 11-2 2021 North Coast Section Champions
Windsor Jaguars 16-0 2011 North Coast Section Champions

Windsor Jaguars High School Football

The Jaguars put together another mistake-free game

🏈 Friday night in a rout of the visiting Farmers to move to 2-0 on the season.

Windsor jumped out to a quick lead and built it to 28-0 by halftime. Windsor head coach DJ Sexton said he felt his team played “close to a perfect game.”

“Tonight we made a statement against a team that had a lot of athletes and some really big linemen across the board,” Sexton said. “We did kind of whatever we needed to do. Ran it well, threw it well — just a complete performance, which is good for us because last year I think it took us nine weeks to have a complete game, and this year our first two games have been pretty much complete games. It’s a great way to start the year.”

Sophomore quarterbacks Carter Vose III and Roman Torres were also nearly perfect for the second straight game. Vose went 8-for-8 passing for 172 yards with two touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown. Torres finished 3-for-4 for 109 yards and a touchdown — a 61-yarder to UNLV commit Hayden Anderson, who ended the night with three touchdowns and 139 receiving yards on five catches.

Through two games, Vose and Torres have combined to go 22-23 passing for 546 yards with eight touchdowns and no interceptions.

Wyatt Morris (six carries, 73 yards) and Malakai Kane Pathoumnourack (five carries, 37 yards, touchdown) led the rushing attack and Fernando Lopez hauled in three catches for 68 yards.

Windsor will hit the road next week for its toughest game of nonleague play at Bay Area powerhouse Campolindo, ranked No. 16 in the San Jose Mercury News’ Bay Area rankings. The Jaguars and the Cougars played to a 14-14 tie in their meeting last season.

“We’re excited. We’re up for the challenge,” Sexton said of the matchup. “We think it’s going to be a game where, if we play to our ability, we like our chances. Obviously we have to have a good week of practice and preparation, but we’re excited to get another crack at them. We’ll be ready.”

(Staff Writers Gus Morris and Kienan O’Doherty contributed to this report.)

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Casa Grande, Windsor players shine in final preseason scrimmage

Both squads won their respective league titles last season.

KIENAN O'DOHERTY

THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

August 24, 2024, 2:23PM

Preseason prep football scrimmages around the North Bay continued Saturday, with a marquee matchup between Casa Grande and Windsor in Petaluma leading the way.

Both squads won their respective league titles last season,

with Casa winning the final title in the Vine Valley Athletic

League and Windsor the North Bay League Oak division

crown.

And while the teams will be in different divisions of the

Redwood Empire Conference this year,

both look ready to go after

their scrimmage.

Time to look at a couple of takeaways.

Morris on the go

Senior running back Wyatt Morris, who suffered a season-ending leg injury last year, looks back to his best self as Windsor’s top back.

Morris earned 22 carries in the two games he played before the injury last fall and is finally healthy and ready to go. A more physical and powerful runner, Morris took his first play of Saturday for a 40-yard score.

If Morris can stay healthy, Windsor’s run game just might be one of their key weapons.

Prep football preview: Despite roster turnover, Windsor looks to compete in new Adobe division

Following the most successful three-year run in program history, the Jaguars will be a bit of a new-look team this fall.

Windsor lineman Brian Davis, right, rushes to recover a fumble against Rancho Cotate lineman John McClellan on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 in Windsor. (Nicholas Vides / For The Press Democrat)

Windsor’s Fernando Lopez (5) and Gunnar Erickson crush Escalon ball carrier Talan Reider, Friday, Sept. 1, 2023 at Windsor High School. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)

Windsor ball carrier Hayden Anderson sidesteps past Escalon’s Nate Krieger on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023 at Windsor High School. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)

Windsor

Last season: 10-2-1, first in North Bay League Oak division, runner-up in North Coast Section Division 2 playoffs

2024 league: Redwood Empire Conference — Adobe

Judson Anderson, LB Ricky Campos, WR/DB Ananias Walker, K Kailer Behrens, RB Max McFerren, WR/DB Gunnar Erickson, RB Dom Morris, WR/DB Kienan McAlister, DL Grant Michnevich, LB RJ Johnson, LB Dante Suy, WR/DB Joseph Campbell, TE Matt Worlow, DL August Kingwell

Key returners: WR/DB Hayden Anderson, Sr.; OL/DL Marcello McFarland, Jr.; RB/LB Wyatt Morris, Sr.; WR Fernando Lopez, Jr.; WR Rubio Gonzalez, Jr.; OL/DL Jacob Byrn, Sr.; OL/DL Brian Davis, Sr.; OL/DL Tyson Timmons, Sr.; OL/LB Mason Spesert, Sr.; WR/DB Noah Strozewski, Sr.

Outlook: Following the most successful three-year run in program history, the Jaguars will be a bit of a new-look team this fall, having graduated 14 of their 18 all-league players.

But despite their losses to graduation, the program is in a good position to compete with the best again this fall, third-year head coach DJ Sexton said.

“This group of guys has a totally different feel than some of our previous teams,” Sexton said. “They work really hard, they all get along, there’s no selfishness where guys are looking for their touches or their glory.

“This is a really unselfish group and they’ve all been working really hard, starting in the weight room in January.”

Windsor will have the talents of arguably the top player in the North Bay in senior Hayden Anderson, a three-star wide receiver/defensive back who is committed to play at UNLV. Anderson was the NBL-Oak MVP as a sophomore and Co-Offensive Player of the Year as a junior.

Unlike last season, Windsor will be young at its skill positions and experienced on the line. Sexton said they’re likely to start a handful of first-year varsity players around Anderson on the outside, while the Jaguars’ offensive and defensive lines will feature numerous returning starters, like seniors in Jacob Byrn, Brian Davis, Tyson Timmins and Mason Spesert.

“We’re really excited about that group,” Sexton said of the line. “It’s really going to anchor our team and be a real strength of our team.”

Senior Wyatt Morris will step up as the primary running back, providing some experience on offense, and sophomore quarterback Carter Vose III will take the reins from two-year starter Judson Anderson.

“Even though he’s a sophomore, he doesn't play like it,” Sexton said of Vose. “He’s got a chance to be really special for us. Not only does he throw the ball really well, but he’s got good feet and can run the ball when we need him to. He’s a real dual-threat guy.”

Due to their success the last several years, Windsor will be a member of the Redwood Empire Conference Adobe division, the top league in the new tri-county realignment involving the North Bay League, Vine Valley Athletic League and Marin County Athletic League.

“We understand how tough our league is going to be, but we feel like we belong there,” Sexton said. “We feel like we’ll be in the conversation and we feel like we have good players to make a run at it. Hopefully we can stay healthy and those things go our way.”

Schedule: at Analy, Aug. 30; vs. Hayward, Sept. 6; at Campolindo, Sept. 13; at Dublin, Sept. 20; vs. Eureka, Oct. 4; vs. Cardinal Newman*, Oct. 11; vs. San Marin*, Oct. 18; at Vintage*, Oct. 25; at Rancho Cotate*, Nov. 1; vs. Marin Catholic*, Nov. 8.

(*=league game)

You can reach Staff Writer Gus Morris at 707-304-9372 or gus.morris@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @JustGusPD

Windsors Hayden Anderson prepares to cap stellar prep football career before big-time college move

Windsor’s Hayden Anderson is set to enter his senior season this fall before heading to UNLV to play in college, after entertaining numerous Division I offers. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)

KIENAN O'DOHERTY

THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

August 24, 2024, 5:11PM

Hayden Anderson had just graduated eighth grade when he first made himself known at Windsor.

On the practice field, the incoming freshman was lined up at wide receiver one-on-one with then-incoming senior Makhi Johnson. He ran a simple vertical route, blew past Johnson and then went up and snatched the ball in midair against the Cal Poly commit.

“Myself and (then-Windsor coach) Paul Cronin looked at each other and said, ‘Wow, he’s going to be a D1 player,” Windsor head coach Dean “DJ” Sexton said. “We said it right away. He’s one of those guys who don’t come around often, and when they do come around you don’t fully realize what you have until they’re gone. But once he stepped foot on our field, we noticed he was better than any kid we’ve ever seen.”

Windsor’s Hayden Anderson, a wide receiver and defensive back, takes a turn on special teams to return a punt during practice, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)

Fast-forward to now, and as the wide receiver/defensive back enters his senior season, he has cemented himself as not only one of the best players to come out of Windsor, but one of the best to ever come out of the Redwood Empire region.

Heading into the fall campaign that begins Friday night, the University of Nevada-Las Vegas commit has totaled 64 rushes for 726 yards with 13 touchdowns on the ground and 168 receptions for 2,795 yards and 31 touchdown catches — and heck, he’s even 5-for-8 passing with 171 yards and two scores.

And that’s just his offensive production. Anderson’s defense in the secondary has been just as stellar, with 89 total tackles (74 solo), 11 interceptions for 229 yards, 11 pass deflections, two blocked punts and two blocked field goals.

What to watch for as high school football kicks off in Sonoma, Napa counties

Not only will this be the first season of the highly anticipated Redwood Empire Conference, but a new playoff format has the potential to shake up the postseason.

Along with the big-picture changes, there are plenty of local storylines to follow.

Fresh off winning just the second state title in Sonoma County history, St. Vincent could be primed for another long postseason run this fall.

Windsor and Cardinal Newman, two of the area’s top teams the last several seasons, will now be joined in league play by Marin powerhouses San Marin and Marin Catholic.

And legendary head coach Paul Cronin, now at Ukiah, is closing in on late Montgomery legend Jason Franci’s local record for career wins (232).

New leagues

A massive tri-county realignment between the North Bay League, Vine Valley Athletic League and Marin County Athletic League has resulted in four brand new leagues. Here’s a refresher on the new Redwood Empire Conference divisions.

REC-Adobe: Cardinal Newman, Marin Catholic, San Marin, Vintage, Rancho Cotate, Windsor

REC-Valley: American Canyon, Casa Grande, Tamalpais, Redwood, Justin-Siena, Napa, Petaluma

REC-Bay: Analy, Santa Rosa, Ukiah, Montgomery, Maria Carrillo, Santa Rosa, St. Vincent

REC-Mountain: Piner, San Rafael, Sonoma Valley, Healdsburg, Novato, Archie Williams, Terra Linda

The leagues are arranged based on teams’ recent success, with the winningest programs being placed in the top division. A primary reason for the change was to increase competitiveness. The top teams will now have a chance to prove themselves against equal competition, while teams in the lowest leagues will have the opportunity to put together winning seasons — for the first time in decades, for some.

This realignment is set to run from 2024 to 2028 and the conference will readjust the leagues after two years if need be. If the alignment works as intended, this setup could be in place for years to come.

Most area coaches, whether from a successful or struggling program, welcome the move.

“I see good parity in our league and if it plays out the way it should with good parity, I think it’s pretty wide open,” Maria Carrillo head coach Jay Higgins said. “I think you’re going to see competitive games week in and week out, and I think it’s going to be lots of fun.”

New playoff model

Higgins is also quick to point out that the new leagues may not provide the largest wholesale change next season. That, he feels, may be the new playoff format the NCS has implemented.

In the old format, teams were assigned to divisions at the start of each season and, unless they were pulled up to the Open Division, would remain there for the playoffs. Teams could also move up and down divisions between seasons based on their body of work. Several successful years in a row could move a Division 5 team up to Division 4 or 3, for example.

The new system varies in several ways. Now, teams will be placed into divisions at the start of the year based on their enrollment but will then be reseeded — no higher or lower than two divisions at most — for the playoffs, based on how they perform in the regular season.

For example, if a Division 5 team performs well, they could be bumped up to Division 4 or 3 for the playoffs. On the flip side, a Division 3 team that underperforms but still qualifies for the postseason could drop down to Division 4 or 5.

The exception to the new seeding approach is the Open Division, where the top eight teams in the section, regardless of division, will be placed.

“It’s going to be just plain wild to see how it shakes out,” Higgins said. “All bets are off when it comes to the end of the season.”

Adobe powerhouse

The top division of the REC will provide can’t-miss action week in and week out and will be arguably one of the toughest leagues in Northern California.

Since 2018, the six teams in the Adobe have combined for eight NCS titles and five CIF state titles to go along with nine other NCS championship game appearance and other two state championship appearances.

“We understand how tough our league is going to be, but we feel like we belong there,” Windsor head coach DJ Sexton said.

The new playoff model also introduces a new wrinkle specifically for the Adobe: the winner of the league could very likely be bumped up to the Open Division for the playoffs, where they would face state powers like De La Salle, Pittsburg or San Ramon Valley, all preseason top-30 teams in the state.

It should be a thrilling league to follow, and it’s set to start with a bang. The first week of league play Oct. 11 will see Windsor host Cardinal Newman and San Marin host Marin Catholic.

State title defense.

The St. Vincent Mustangs cemented an incredible multiyear run with a state title last fall, the first state football title for a Sonoma County team since Cardinal Newman captured one in 2019.While the Mustangs did graduate several key players, they return a host of prominent contributors and could very well be in the hunt once again this postseason.

Due to their enrollment size of a few hundred students, they’ll be placed in Division 7 and could rise only as high as Division 5 for the playoffs, meaning there’s a good chance they could face larger schools from Division 4 or 3 that are moved down. But as we saw in their NorCal regional win over Palo Alto — a school of 2,000 students — the Mustangs can certainly hold their own against schools in higher divisions.

Cronin closing in on coaching record...

Over his long career at Cardinal Newman, Cronin established himself as one of the best and most successful coaches in area history.

Over his 20-year tenure, he led the Cardinals to five section titles, three state championship game appearances and the school’s first state title in 2019. He then helped lead Windsor to an NCS title in his one year at the helm in 2021.

Now in his second season at Ukiah, Cronin has a chance to cement himself even deeper in local lore. He enters this season with 229 career wins, just three away from the late Jason Franci, who has the Sonoma County record of 232 over a storied career at Montgomery.

It’s a matter of when, not if, Cronin passes that mark, which would make him the second-winningst coach in Redwood Empire history. Middletown’s Bill Foltmer still holds the top spot with 309 wins and counting.

You can reach Staff Writer Gus Morris at 707-304-9372 or gus.morris@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @JustGusPD.

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