Abby hopes to capitalize on team speed

In any sport, speed is a huge asset. For the 2023 Abbotsford Falcons football team, it may be their biggest weapon they have to leverage. With a large number of their skill position players returning from last season, head coach Jake Knapmiller and the rest of the Falcons coaching staff are hoping to make the most of the overall quickness of the team.

One could see that speed on full display during the team’s three non-conference games to open last year’s season. The Falcons racked up over 1,200 yards on the ground in games against Loyal, Melrose-Mindoro, and Iola-Scandinavia and defeated their opponents by an average of 34 points. Including a forfeit by Wild Rose, they started the season 4-0.

But it was a tale of two halves for the 2022 Falcons, as they failed to come up with a win once Marawood conference play began. Injuries began to pile up and by the end of the season, Abbotsford found themselves on the outside looking in when it came to playoff time.

This season, Knapmiller aims to harness that offensive firepower on display early last season. Luckily, he will still have many of the same weapons still at his disposal.

Senior quarterback JV Castillo and sophomore running back Christian Fuentes led the Falcons’ rushing attack last season, both receiving allconference honorable mention awards for their efforts. This will be Castillo’s third season as Abbotsford’s primary signal caller and he will be looking to bounce back after battling a nagging injury last season.

“JV was never 100 percent healthy last season and it is a shame because he is one of the most talented athletes in our area,” Knapmiller said of his starting quarterback. “We’re looking for him to have more impact this year offensively with both his legs and throwing the football.”

Castillo was still effective on the ground last year, gaining 583 yards on just 81 attempts, averaging 7.2 yards per carry. He also was tied as the team leader in rushing touchdowns with eight.

The teammate tied with him was Fuentes, who led the Falcons in most rushing categories as a freshman last season. He picked up 917 yards on 118 carries, averaging 8.2 yards per attempt. His effort against Iola-Scandinavia, where he garnered over 400 yards of total offense was a perfect showcase of the speed and agility that the sophomore will bring to the table.

“He’s returning bigger and faster,” Knapmiller said. “He is a high energy kid that loves the game and I would expect for him to put up some big numbers as well.”

In addition to Castillo and Fuentes, Irvin Aguilera, Chase Boller, and Emilio Escalera are expected to make contributions in the ground game as well. All three saw varsity snaps last season, with Escalera and Aguilera gaining the third and fourth most rushing yards for the Falcons last season.

In order for any of these backs to make use of their quickness, they will need to have the space to do so, a responsibility which will fall upon the Falcons’ offensive line and tight ends. Senior right tackle Ashton Hammel received second team all-conference honors last season and will look to continue to be a cornerstone in the trenches for Abbotsford.

“He’s just a really hard working guy,” Knapmiller said of Hammel. “He worked on his lifting and eating right this offseason and it shows.”

Knapmiller pegged Daniel Davila and Diego Tzintzun as guards that he hopes can use their athleticism to get out in front when pulling in the run game. Andrew Hirsch, Angel Tzintzun, Marcus VanLuven, Irvin Davila, and Andres Lopez were all mentioned as others who might slot in various positions along the line.

While the Abbotsford offense typically runs through their ground game, Knapmiller noted that tight ends Evan Reis and AJ Brodhagen would be likely targets when the Falcons turn to the air. Reis led the Falcons last season in receptions and yards, coming down with 11 catches for 167 yards and a touchdown.

“Our speed is our strength,” Knapmiller summarized. “We are not very big so we have to play fast. We have guys who can move up front offensively as well. We need to have consistency in our snapping and our special teams to improve. We also need to be efficient when we throw the ball. Effectively running the ball allows throwing to open up.”

On the other side of the ball, the Falcons struggled at times to get off the field last season, especially during the latter half of the schedule. There have been some changes to the scheme this year and while it will take some time for the players to adjust, Knapmiller has liked what he has seen so far, especially during their first live play against other teams.

“It’ll take some transitioning but our kids are buying into their role in the defense,” the Falcons head coach said. “Our two really glaring issues last year were getting off the field on third and long combined with pass coverage and open field tackling. Most of those things looked like we improved on in our scrimmage.”

Staying as healthy as possible will be key for a program that has 23 players, as last season served as a testament to. Players learning the responsibilities of different positions in case of injury will also be paramount to finding success this season. Navigating those injuries when they inevitably occur will be difficult, but Knapmiller noted that if the players can buy into the concept that they need to be flexible, then learning the techniques and being able to slot in players where needed will be easier.

The Falcons coaching staff is also hoping to see a shift in mentality around the team this season.

“We just are looking for kids to be great teammates, have fun and change the culture of our program back to where it was a few years ago where kids genuinely enjoy being around one another and being on the field creating memories,” Knapmiller said. “And I think we have the group of kids that can do it.”

Like last year, the Falcons will face off against the Loyal Greyhounds in their first game of the season. In the opening contest of 2022, the Greyhounds scored first to take an 8-0 lead but Abbotsford dominated the rest of the way, scoring 33 points unanswered to come away with the victory. They will host the CWC-Small team this Friday, Aug. 18, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.