OC Sports Zone Kickoff 2019: Tustin looking to make progress under first year coach

Tustin’s football team takes the field for a game last season. (File photo Fernando M. Donado, For OC Sports Zone)

Tustin High’s football team is aiming to make strides under first-year coach Anthony Lopez.

To see the slide show, please click on the first photo

The Tillers return six players on offense and one on defense. Tustin was 4-7 overall and tied for second place in the Empire League with a 3-2 record under former long-time Coach Myron Miller, who resigned at the end of the season.

“The goal is to improve each week and be playing our best football in league and towards the end of the season,” said Lopez, who was Tustin’s offensive coordinator last year. “To be successful, we need to win the trenches on both sides of the ball.”

Tustin opens the season on Friday, Aug. 23 hosting Capistrano Valley.

Tentative offensive starters

QB: Mateo Vasquez, junior; FB: David Villalobos, senior, second team all-league; RB: Matt Rodriguez, senior, second team all-league; TE: Cristian Pilimai, sophomore; LT: Efrain Garcia, junior, second team all-league; LG: LaShawn Hye, junior; C: Antonio Diaz, junior; RG: Jessie Williams, senior; RT: Ernesto Nava, senior, second team all-league; WR: Alex Nunez, junior; WR: Jonathan Molina, senior.

Tentative defensive starters

DE: Ernesto Nava, senior; DT: LaShawn Hye, junior; DT: David Villalobos, senior; DE: Cristian Pilimai, sophomore; OLB: Simon Sampson, senior; OLB: JJ Gonzalez, senior; LB: Saul Gomez, senior; LB: D’Anthony Franco, senior; C: Eddie Mendoza, junior; C: Jonathan Molina, senior; S: Yahir Carbajal, junior.

Special teams

Kicking/punting: Miguel Ochoa, senior.

A closer look at the Tiller standouts

Coach Lopez said the offensive line has been the “hardest working group in the off-season.”

The group includes Ernesto Nava, Jessie Williams, Antonio Diaz, LaShawn Hye, Efrain Garcia and Cristian Pilimai, who he said “have set the tone with their work ethic and are going to be the key to our success.”

2019 TUSTIN FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

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