To start out the 2024 football season, the Dos Palos Broncos will face off against their archrivals, the Los Banos Tigers, this Friday evening.
The latest edition of “The Westside War” will take place at Frankian Field/Bill Hume Stadium before the usual SRO crowd. The Tigers, under head coach Dustin Caropreso, have won the last two contests.
If the Broncos are to end that streak, they are going to have to play a mistake-free game, according to their coach.
“We have to come in and play good, sound football,” said Bronco head coach Rob Calvert. “We can’t make mistakes like turning the ball over and penalties. We have to play a clean game, and also win the battle up front.”
And ‘up front’ is one of the Tigers’ strong points, Calvert added.
“Los Banos is always good up front,” he explained. “They are athletic, and they have a good receiver and a good running back.”
When the Broncos take the field on Friday, they will feature two quarterbacks, both of whom had excellent moments last Friday in scrimmages against Pacheco-Los Banos and Fresno High.
Earl Riley is a senior who moved back to Dos Palos after spending time at Central-Fresno and Memorial-Fresno. Gavin Estrada is a junior who has quarterbacked the junior varsity for the last two seasons.
“Earl is a pocket passer who reads defenses very well,” said Calvert. “Gavin is a RPO (run-pass-option) kind of guy. He is a good runner and very athletic.”
He added that both will see time leading the offense, “and whoever is hot will finish the game.”
The duo will have some excellent receivers to throw the ball to, as Calvert said his receiving corps is the team’s strong point.
They include speedster Jesus Bon, a junior, and senior Jacquez Jones. But the top receiver will be Sixto Ibarra, a three-year varsity starter. Also in the mix will be sophomore Billy Scott, who caught a pair of touchdown passes at the scrimmage.
The top running backs will be returner Andre Flores, a junior, and sophomore Eric Franco.
“We have two good ones in the backfield,” the coach said. “Andre ran for about 1,400 yards last season and is bigger and stronger this year. Eric is going to get some carries. He runs hard and is a big threat coming out of the backfield and catching passes.”
The offensive line will be led by junior tackle Esteban Hernandez, already a three-year varsity player. He will be joined by sophomore Justin Hurd at center to anchor the line.
Defensively, the linebacking corps will be the anchor, led by inside backers Dominic Esquivel and John Snapp. The outside linebackers will be Anthony Del Rio and Jesus Tapia.
Hurd, Hernandez and Ace O’Banion will be a big part of the Bronco defensive line, and the backfield will feature Franco, Ibarra, Bon, and Jones.
