Cypress Coach Rick Feldman prepares his team for a game in 2022. (Photo: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).
Cypress High School’s football team, which earned a share of the Empire League title four straight seasons until Tustin won the outright crown last year, embarks on a new challenge this season.
Coach Rick Feldman’s Centurions are gearing up for their first season in the Delta League, which is part of a major re-leaguing for most Orange County teams.
Other teams in the league are Western, Capistrano Valley, Trabuco Hills, Tustin and El Modena. The league is the third toughest in the realignment of teams.
“The new league will be challenging this year,” Feldman said. “The teams are all well coached and are loaded with players. We are hopeful that our youthful team will gain the experience we need in the preseason to compete at the level needed in the Delta League.
“We graduated a lot of seniors last year so we will be pretty young. We hope to win as many games as we can and to always be competitive.”
Logan Kennedy, a wide receiver, kicker and punter who became the team’s leading receiver at the end of last season; Matthew Baldonado, a cornerback, slot player, kick returner and punt returner who was Empire League defensive back of the year in 2023; and Chasen Sparks, a slot/safety player who was all-league last season, are expected to lead the Centurions.
Feldman also “expects big things” from sophomore cornerback Jaiden Anthony.
Other top returners are outside linebacker Tyler White and offensive/defensive tackle Kyree Lewis, who were both all-league last season.
Sophomore wide receiver/safety Matt Rodriguez and sophomore wide receiver Mekaih Felix and first year starting quarterback Keiran Edmundson are other top players.
Cypress was 7-5 overall and finished 4-1 in second place in its last year in the Empire League. The Centurions lost to Mira Costa in the second round of the CIF playoffs.
Feldman said his players are excited about practicing on their new turf field beginning Thursday.
2024 SCHEDULE
(Home games at Western)
Friday, Aug. 23, (H) vs. La Mirada
Thursday, Aug. 29, (H) vs. Corona del Mar
Friday, Sept. 6, (H) vs. Mayfair
Friday, Sept. 13, at Lawndale
Friday, Sept. 20, at Tesoro
League
Friday, Oct. 4, at Tustin
Friday, Oct. 11, (H) vs. Capistrano Valley
Thursday, Oct. 17, (H) vs. Western
Friday, Oct. 25, at Trabuco Hills
Thursday, Oct. 31, at El Modena
(Ninth in a series of summer football previews)
—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
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