Lathrop is taking the “happy to be here” approach for this short spring season.
Coach Joe Pirillo's message to his Spartans is to not take these moments for granted. With no postseason berths to play for in the next five weeks, the main objective is to simply have fun.
Their campaign kicks off next Friday, March 19 with Mountain House visiting for their third annual “Old River Rivalry.”
“We get to play this great game again,” Pirillo said. “We're going to go out and
It has been a whirlwind for area teams after San Joaquin County schools were given the go-ahead to begin high-contact outdoor sports. The change of pace has been welcome for the athletes, however, after they spent most of the school year wondering if there would even be a season for them.
“I was super devastated at first,” senior running back/linebacker Andrew Garcia said. “Just the thought of not having a season and all, that kind of sucked. Every day we're out here has been great. Getting any game we can is exciting, and I'm looking forward to all of them.”
Lathrop welcomes fellow Manteca Unified school East Union on Saturday morning for a scrimmage. Next week, the Spartans will look to retain the “Battle for the Paddle” trophy they earned with an exciting 45-39 overtime win in Week 10 on Nov. 1, 2019. Their last opponent will be the first for this season.
“We're playing for that paddle,” Garcia said. “It's nice to have something to fight for.”
Then-sophomore receiver Jason Seabron Jr. scored five touchdowns in that win but has since transferred to Edison in Stockton. Lathrop may also be without running back Isaac Ramos for the opener, as he is nursing a hamstring injury.
The Spartans still have plenty of returning weapons, several of whom are juniors with ample varsity experience. Lineman Kevin Ballesteros-Paz, wide out/defensive back Joey Sanchis, receiver Mark Ramones, Garcia and Ramos are all four-year veterans with the program.
“We have a lot of guys who have been playing together awhile now,” Pirillo said. “Hopefully we can build some momentum while enjoying this spring season and carry that over into the fall season.”
Defensive end Harold Gary is among the top returning juniors who earned their varsity stripes as sophomores. He was named to the All-Western Athletic Conference second team along with Ballesteros-Paz and Sanchis.
“We're not going to back down this year,” Gary said. “We're going to fight to the end of every game.”
Pirillo has high hopes for two other second-year varsity juniors on the offensive end, as Luis Hernandez returns at quarterback along with 6-foot receiver Isaiah Miravite Baumgardner. Hernandez got in-game reps behind center late in the 2019 season.
“He's been working at it,” Pirillo said. “He has been working to get his arm stronger and working on the mental aspect of the game. There has been only so much that we can do leading up to now, so we got to meet more and do all these things.
“He's a hard worker and very coachable player. He takes in everything you're saying and wants to be the guy.”
The juniors should gain more valuable experience with their lineup of opponents for the season. The WAC has been split into North and South Divisions and has added former members Patterson and Central Valley for the year.
They Spartans play Patterson, a consistent playoff qualifier, on the road on Thursday, April 1. They also drew the league's three Modesto City schools that combined to finish 19-10 last year, including reigning champion Beyer.
“What's nice is that we're getting three home games out of the five weeks,” Pirillo said. “We're just really happy we're getting to play football games.”
