‘I’m stoked!’ — Vista del Lago coach eager to coach experienced football group
There is an old saying regarding high school sports: nothing beats varsity experience.
This rings true in Folsom, where Vista del Lago will trot out a veteran group of Eagles for a unique spring football season. While the intent for a lot of regional teams may be to build for the future, Vista coach Mike Struebing embraces the old George Allen coaching mantra from generations past: “The future is now.”
The Eagles have 10 third-year starters, each of them pained beyond measure during the lost summer and fall months of 2020, when the pandemic cast an ominous shadow on all prep sports and a good many schools, reducing them to distance learning.
Vista was a difficult out in the 2019 playoffs as a 9-3 team heavy on the run and strong on defense, and it will be a hard-to-handle outfit now with 36 varsity players.
“We have a lot of experience, a lot of three-year guys, and I’m a fan of this group,” said Struebing, who has directed a program that has been a playoff regular over the years. “A lot the kids here, it speaks for them, our senior group, because we didn’t think we’d have a season at the end of January. I told guys to consider other sports, that it’s time to move on. But we’re here, and it feels like football. It’s certainly been a long haul.”
Struebing said this after the sun set on the Folsom hillside that overlooks the Vista field, where players hustled through drills and game-like situations, bringing an extra chill. It feels like November playoff season. This time, the four-game schedule will not be followed by a postseason — and not even a Capital Athletic League championship to pursue.
Vista scrimmages Woodcreek on Friday, then plays Del Campo on March 26 followed by games against Ponderosa, Christian Brothers and Sacramento High. It wasn’t long ago that Vista players sat in the bleacher seats at their remarkable stadium and let out a collective sigh, conceding that there was no more fight to fight.
“That was about three weeks ago,” running back Ethan Menezes said. “We’re glad to be here.”
Menezes has a lot to play for, beyond team memories and experiences. He is barreling down on the school’s career rushing mark. He has 2,587 career yards from his sophomore and junior seasons, including 1,859 in 2019 to go with 12 touchdowns. He is a mixture of power and burst at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds.
“I love his athleticism, sense of balance, and he’s quiet, and we love that he’s a little goofy,” Struebing said.
Other three-year Vista players include quarterback Aydan Edwards, receivers Carson King, Eric Johnson, Nate Zan and Jacob Vencer, all of whom also play on defense. Other three-year vets: linemen Noah Case, Ryan Goff and Kellen Murphy and linebacker Bryson Santero.
Struebing is in his eighth season as coach. He also teaches science on campus. His wife Stephanie teaches math, and he says, “I married up!”
“I’m stoked for the season and for the players,” the coach said. “This is special. College is fun, but anytime you can play a Friday night game under the lights with your high school friends, that’s unique. We still have that.”