The start of another high school football season is close at hand, and 10 area prep football teams turned up at St. Joseph High School Saturday for the fifth annual Lee Central Coast Newspapers Media Day.
All of the Santa Maria Valley high school squads ā Pioneer Valley, Righetti, Santa Maria, St. Joseph and, on the eight-man side, Orcutt Academy and Valley Christian Academy, were in attendance.
Lompoc and Cabrillo were there as well, as were Nipomo and SantaĀ Ynez.
The event is organized by the sports staff at Lee Central Coast Newspapers, which publishes the Santa Maria Times, Lompoc Record and Santa Ynez Valley News.
Coaches and players generally exude optimism at this time of year, and the LCCN Football Media Day Saturday was no exception.
"The goal for all coaches at this time of year is to win a league championship and a CIF (sectional divisional) championship, and that's the way it should be," veteran Santa Ynez coach Josh McClurg told LCCN's Elliott Stern.Ā

Braxton Carroll records an interview between Sports Editor Joe Bailey, center, and St. Joseph High School's Ethan Otremba during the Lee Central Coast Newspapers fifth annual football Media Day Saturday at St. Joseph High School.
The Hancock College football squad was also on hand. The Bulldogs' season will not start for awhile.
High school area football teams will open Aug. 23. Hancock, with a bye the first week of the California junior college football season, will not open until Sept. 14. The Bulldogs will host Los Angeles Valley College at 2 p.m. that day.
Hancock safety Seth Matthysse said the later start should actually help his team. Matthysse was an integral part of a Hancock secondary that helped the Bulldogs go 10-1 in 2018, a campaign that included a second straight 5-0 Pacific League season and a bowl win for Hancock.
The Bulldogs held on to edge San Bernardino Valley College 38-35 in the American Championship Bowl, Hancock's first bowl win in years. A third-quarter Hector Gil-Garcia field goal was the difference maker.
"I think (a second straight unbeaten Pacific League campaign along with a bowl win) can definitely be a springboard into the next season for the returners, and we can pass that along to the new guys," said Matthysse, a Paso Robles High School graduate.
You have free articles remaining.

Assistant Managing Editor Len Wood takes a photo of Nipomo High School football players during theĀ Lee Central Coast Newspapers fifth annual Media Saturday at St. Joseph High School.
As for the late season start, "I think it will actually help us," said Matthysse. "It will give us more time to get acclimated," to the 2019 campaign.
Pioneer Valley and Orcutt Academy both have a new head coach. John Beck's Pioneer Valley team will open at Oxnard at 7 p.m. Aug. 23. Gabe Espinoza's Orcutt Academy team will debut at Fulton Van Nuys at 4 p.m. that day.
Lompoc, St. Joseph and Nipomo are defending league champions. Lompoc took the 2018 league title in the revamped Channel League.
The Braves have won a league title every year since Lompoc alum Andrew Jones, who starred at quarterback there, took over as head coach in 2010. That year was the last one in which the Braves have lost a league game.
In both teams' first year in the Central Section, Nipomo won the inaugural Ocean League championship and St. Joseph took the inaugural Mountain League crown.

St. Joseph High School football players get set as Sports Editor Joe Bailey, Assistant Managing Editor Len Wood and Internet Specialist Jason Anderson set up a shot during theĀ Lee Central Coast Newspapers fifth annual Media Saturday at St. Joseph High School.
Tony Payne took Righetti to the 2018 Central Section Division 2 title game in his first year as coach. He said Saturday that his players are more than ready for the start of the season.
"The drills have been pretty physical," said Payne. "All of our guys are ready to start hitting people in different-colored jerseys for a change."
His players "are tired of me standing there barking orders at them," veteran Nipomo coach Tony Dodge said with a chuckle.
"They're ready for the season to start."
081019 FB Media Day 04.JPG

Assistant Managing Editor Len Wood takes a team photo of Pioneer Valley High School players during theĀ Lee Central Coast Newspapers fifth annual Media Saturday at St. Joseph High School.
081019 FB Media Day 03.JPG

Hancock College's T.J. Boone gets his photo taken by Assistant Managing Editor Len Wood during Saturday's 5th annualĀ Lee Central Coast Newspapers Media Day Saturday at St. Joseph High.
081019 FB Media Day 02.JPG

Nipomo High School starting quarterback Brayden Groshart talks about the upcoming football season with Sports Editor Joe Bailey during the 5th annual Lee Central Coast Newspapers Media Day Saturday at St. Joseph High.
081019 FB Media Day 05.JPG

Assistant Managing Editor Len Wood takes a photo of Hancock College players, from left, Curt McDonald, T.J. Boone and Seth Matthysse during theĀ Lee Central Coast Newspapers fifth annual Media Saturday at St. Joseph High School.
081019 FB Media Day 06.JPG

Braxton Carroll records an interview between Sports Editor Joe Bailey, center, and St. Joseph High School's Ethan Otremba during the Lee Central Coast Newspapers fifth annual football Media Day Saturday at St. Joseph High School.
081019 FB Media Day 07.JPG

Assistant Managing Editor Len Wood takes a photo of Nipomo High School football players during theĀ Lee Central Coast Newspapers fifth annual Media Saturday at St. Joseph High School.
081019 FB Media Day 08.JPG

St. Joseph High School football players get set as Sports Editor Joe Bailey, Assistant Managing Editor Len Wood and Internet Specialist Jason Anderson set up a shot during theĀ Lee Central Coast Newspapers fifth annual Media Saturday at St. Joseph High School.
081019 FB Media Day 09.JPG

The Lee Central Coast Newspapers sports team, clockwise from front, Elliott Stern, Joe Bailey, Kenny Cress, Jason Anderson and Braxton Carroll get the equipment ready for Saturday's fifth annual football Media Day at St. Joseph High School.