First-year coach Mike Zangl leads Tesoro football team into competitive Bravo League

Tesoro players (from left) Campbell Schamel, Tanner Silber, Braiden Vaca, Sammy Peterson and Cash O’ Byrne are among the players expected to lead the Titans. (Photo courtesy Steve Schamel, Tesoro Football Boosters).

Tesoro High School’s new football coach Mike Zangl has established some goals for the program that he once played for.

“We want to establish a culture of excellence and be elite on the field, in the classroom, in the community, and in our home lives,” said Zangl was an offensive lineman on Tesoro’s league championship teams in 2007 and 2008.

“As a head coach, I want to help our kids reach their goals of moving on to a four-year school or trade school and our coaches reach their goals of creating positive change and moving up in the profession.”

Zangl has been on the Tesoro staff the last three years and was the JV head coach the last two years. He replaces Matt Poston, who resigned at the end of last season after 11 seasons. Tesoro was 5-5 overall and 1-2 in the South Coast League in 2023.

“The hopes for our team are to buy into the process and focus on what we can control,” he said. “An elite mindset is our number one priority and how we handle our daily habits on the field, in the classroom, in the community and at home. The hope is to handle adversity the right way and compete on every play in every game.”

Tesoro has some key players returning in 2024.

“We have two of our most productive offensive players back in three-year starting quarterback Cash O’Byrne and leading wide receiver Campbell Schamel,” the coach said.

“Offensive linemen Colin McGill, Sawyer Wolfe and Dean Turner will lead the front five. We will be young on defense but with tremendous upside as the year goes on and in the future. Spencer Douglass and Grant Haefner will anchor the front four.

“Adam Achour and Wyatt Owens will lead the linebacking core, and Sammy Peterson will be back as a returner in the secondary.”

The Titans will also be looking for contributions from senior Tanner Silber, “a wide receiver and athletic punter (who) is a weapon on special teams,”  Zangl said.

“Up and coming players tight end Isaiah Abbott, wide receiver Braden Vaca, and a collection of young players on defense will contribute in all phases.” 

Tesoro will be competing in the new Bravo League, part of a major re-alignment for most Orange County football teams. The Trinity League is not affected. The Bravo League, ranked as the second toughest in the new alignment, also includes Villa Park, Yorba Linda, Corona del Mar, San Juan Hills and Newport Harbor.

“We are excited to start a new chapter of Tesoro Football in the new Bravo League,” Zangl said. “We have tremendous respect for all the teams that make up our league. Great coaches, players, and academics for all the schools. We feel it is a great fit and we look forward to the grind each week. Our goal is to perfect our habits and control the controllables each week.”

2024 SCHEDULE

Friday, Aug. 23, (H) vs. Murrieta Mesa

Friday, Aug. 30, (H) vs. San Marcos

Friday, Sept. 6, at La Mirada

Friday, Sept. 13, at La Serna, California High School

Friday, Sept. 20, (H) vs. Cypress

League

Friday, Oct. 4, at Newport Harbor

Friday, Oct. 11, at Villa Park (Fred Kelly Stadium)

Friday, Oct. 18, (H) vs. Yorba Linda

Friday, Oct. 25, at Corona del Mar (Newport Harbor)

Friday, Nov. 1, (H) vs. San Juan Hills

(Another in a series of high school football previews)

For full view, click on photo:

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