Young Cougars take the field
During a walkthrough practice, the Warden football team lines up against each other.
Ian Bivona/Columbia Basin Herald
Quarterback Elijah Ruiz evades pressure during a walkthrough practice, before unloading a deep pass.
Senior Israel Hernandez cuts upfield after catching a pass.
The Warden offense huddles up before calling a play during practice. Head coach Robert Arredondo said that the Cougars have run a similar offense in each of his eight years of coaching at Warden.
Head coach Robert Arredondo takes the opportunity to show his players the way to run a certain play during practice.
WARDEN – Warden head coach Robert Arredondo is facing a new challenge with the 2022 Cougars that he hasn’t seen in his prior seven years at the school – a predominantly young team.
“This is our eighth season, and this is the first time that our team has been so young,” Arredondo said. “So this is all new for the team and for the staff. We didn’t know what to expect coming in, but the work ethic overall that these kids have displayed is pretty cool.”
Through offseason work and the beginning weeks of practice, the Cougars have quickly picked up on what coaches have instructed.
Arredondo said the attentiveness of the student-athletes that make up the younger-than-average team is what has stood out to him so far this year.
“(It’s a) young team this year. We have three seniors on the squad and those guys are leading. The young kids stepping up, knowing they’re going to have to, is huge,” he said.
With such a young team, it can be imperative for the players to get to know each other before the season begins. That’s exactly what Warden players did this offseason
“We open up gym, we do weights throughout the offseason up until August 1,” Arredondo said of the team’s offseason work. “A lot of kids have showed up there, put in work.”
Arredondo said that lifting creates a bond because it’s a challenge.
“I’ll tell ya, there’s nothing like hard work in the weight room to bring a bond together, because, it sucks,” Arredondo said. “If it sucks for everybody, there's a bond. Tough times, I’ve come to realize, really creates a bond. That’s what these kids have been doing, and it fell over to the first day of fall practice.”
The offensive scheme at Warden has primarily remained the same over Arredondo’s tenure, which he said has helped the younger players adapt.
“We have primarily run the same offense for eight seasons, so their knowledge of what you will expect is huge,” Arredondo said. “They’ve been doing it since they were in seventh, eighth grade and the knowledge is (important).”
Along with the three seniors leading, younger players have stepped up into leadership roles as a means of necessity.
“Sophomore quarterback Elijah Ruiz – he plays, mentally, more like a senior because he’s had to,” Arredondo said. “Those kids are going to have to take the team and guide us, and all those kids are extensions of the staff when they’re on the field.”
Warden will begin its season at home against White Swan on September 2. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
“I am really interested to see the maturity that these kids will have to endure,” he said. “And I’m going to take that away for the rest of my life – seeing how this young group matures.”
Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com.
Schedule
Sept. 2 - vs White Swan - 7 p.m.
Sept. 9 - vs Wahluke - 7 p.m.
Sept. 16 - @ Kiona-Benton - 7 p.m.
Sept. 23 - @ Granger - 7 p.m.
Sept. 30 - @ River View - 7 p.m.
Oct. 7 - vs Columbia - 7 p.m.
Oct. 14 - @ Tri-Cities Prep - 7 p.m.
Oct. 21 - vs Dayton - 7 p.m.
Oct. 29 - @ Mabton - 1 p.m.
Roster
Ruben Becerra, Senior QB/RB
Rodolfo Beck, Sophomore OL/D/DL
Moysees Campos, Junior OL/DL
Gustavo Canales, Freshman WR/CB
Jose Canales, Junior OL/DL
Jose Chavez, Junior OL/DL
Anthony Contreras, Junior OL/DL
Eli Cox, Freshman
Owen Cox, Junior
Juan Dominguez, Sophomore
Derek Duarte, Junior OL/LB
Rafael Elizarraraz, Junior OL/DL
Hunter Golladay, Freshman WR/CB
Michael Honzalez, WR/FS
Rufino Golzalez III, Junior TE/DE
Israel Hernandez, Senior TE/LB
Rhett Jorgensen, Freshman OL/LB
Ryan Jorgensen, Freshman OL/DE
Valentin Juarez, Freshman OL/DE
Michael Lembcke, Freshman TE/DE
Rafael Lepe, Junior OL/DL
Angel Lino Segoviano, Junior OL/DL
Jose Madrigal, Junior RB/DE
Erick Manzo, Freshman OL/DL
Alejandro Martinez, Senior RB/DL
Jesus Mejia, Freshman
Alejandro Moreno-Reyna, Freshman
Selvin Munoz, Sophomore WR/FS
Jair Perez-Chavez, Junior RB/CB
Rafael Ramos, Freshman
Nathan Rodriguez-Martinez, Sophomore
Elijah Ruiz, Sophomore QB/RB
Patrico Santiago, Sophomore RB/CB
Jesus Tamayo, Junior RB/DE
Eloy Vargas, Junior
Travis Visker, Sophomore RB
