After a two-week delay, Segerstrom players excited for season opener vs. Katella

Segerstrom takes the field for a game in 2019. (File photo: Courtesy Mark Bausman, For OC Sports Zone)

After a two-week delay, Segerstrom High School’s football team is ready to take the field for its first game of the abbreviated spring season.

The Jaguars, coached by Joseph Tagaloa, will face Katella Thursday night at Glover Stadium in the first of three games. Segerstrom will also play at Garden Grove on Friday, April 9 and wrap up the spring with a home game against Marina on Friday, April 16,.

Segerstrom’s first two scheduled games against La Mirada and Laguna Beach were cancelled due to a positive coronavirus test among its program, Tagaloa said.

But now the Jaguars are looking forward to the opener.

“Our entire program is excited to get back out there and compete,” Tagaloa said. “It feels like an eternity since the last time we were able to take the field as a varsity squad. This year’s team has 24 seniors who have been waiting anxiously to get the opportunity to put on their uniforms and represent their families and our program. The journey leading up to Thursday’s game has not been ideal, but our players’ resilience has kept us focused on the things we can control; attitude and effort.

“We understand that our attitude and effort have a direct correlation to our desired results. Come Thursday we will be ready to play Jaguar football and make our families proud.”

Segerstrom will be led by some key players in Thursday’s opener.

“Some of our leaders on the team are Pablo Flores who is starting on the offensive and defensive line,” Tagaloa said. “Pablo is a returning two- way starter from last year’s team who looks to pick up where he left off.

“Another key two-way starting returner is Nathan Tagaloa. Nathan will be starting at running back and Inside linebacker.

Tagaloa is also expecting big contributions from seniors Johnathan Mota and Nicholas Padilla.

“They both are playing with a chip on their shoulder as they were not able to play their junior season,” Tagaloa said. “A couple of underclassmen who have battled their way to a starting position are starting free safety Erik Martinez and starting quarterback Frankie Gonzalez.”

Tagaloa said he has “high expectations” for his team.

” I expect our staff to be ready and our players to be prepared to play Jaguar football,” he said. “At the end of the night, I know that we have put the necessary work in, so now we get to go out there and have fun. Our motto is to compete every snap and that is what I expect when we take the field Thursday night.”

Katella is off to a 2-0 start and has defeated Ocean View 18-0 and Costa Mesa 37-0.

—-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com