SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Football

2005 Mesa League Preview:

Montgomery Aztecs ride wave of enthusiasm

By Phillip Brents

Posted Aug. 30, 2005

When asked to describe the attributes of this year’s Montgomery High football team, head coach Julio Alcala called the 2005 Aztecs a “young group eager to win.”

“They’re a very hard-working group of kids,” Alcala said. “The goal is to finish the regular season above .500 and make it to the playoffs.”

Montgomery finished 2-8 last season, so the enthusiasm to rise above that mark is understandably rampant throughout the ranks.

Top returners include seniors Thaddeus Johnson (offensive/defensive lineman), Adrian Valles (tight end/defensive lineman) and Danny Peimbert (wide receiver/defensive back) and juniors Chris Pizarro (quarterback) and Tusi Jennings (fullback/defensive lineman). Johnson and Jennings both earned All-Mesa League honors last season.

Impact newcomers include junior tight end/defensive lineman Brad Procopio, up from the junior varsity level, and sophomores Juan Moriel (running back/defensive back), Ryan Carrera (offensive lineman), Donovan Myers (defensive back) and Eugene Afalla (wide receiver/defensive back). Moriel, Carrera and Myers all competed at the freshman level last season; Afalla is a transfer.

The Aztecs kick off their season Sept. 2 with a non-league game at Santana. The teams met in the season-opener last year with the visiting Sultans claiming a 17-6 victory.

Montgomery’s victories last season came against San Ysidro (15-12) and Hilltop (21-17). The Aztecs’ non-conference schedule this season includes games against El Cajon Valley and San Diego besides Santana.