Published Nov. 2, 2023
BY ALEXANDER FREDERICK
The Padres football program has a flawless 9-0 win streak and is first in the league because of their strong offense and good team chemistry.
The Padres, led by head coach Golden Anderson, have been tackling the season head-on and are looking unstoppable. With one exception, a game against Alisal High School, the Padres often have decisive and dominant victories with margins of 20 or 30 points.
The Padres’ next game will be the Shoe Game on Saturday, Nov. 4, against rival Pacific Grove High School (7-2, 3-2 in league).
Padre sportsmanship stays strong after a big win against Soledad. (photo by ALEXANDER FREDERICK)
According to head coach Golden Anderson, Carmel football is succeeding off the field as well.
“There’s no freshman to go pick up the bags, sophomores carry this,” says Anderson. “We’re on the team, we’re all in the program.”
Headed by quarterback junior Hudson Rutherford, who has passed for 2,034 yards and thrown 22 touchdown passes, the Carmel scoring machine put up an impressive 46-12 victory on Oct. 28 over their latest opponent, Soledad.
Junior Ashton Rees, who received individual honors on the all-league defensive team last year, leads the team with 106 points scored and two interceptions. Rees, along with many other players on the team, hopes to continue playing in college.
“The team knows we’re all in it together,” Rees says. “We want the same thing. We want to keep playing.”
Junior wide receiver Ty Arnold has also been putting up strong numbers with 694 receiving yards and seven
Juniors Ashton Rees and Simeon Brown, friends and high scorers, after a win 46-12 against Soledad High School. (photo by ALEXANDER FREDERICK)
touchdowns. Sophomores of note include Indy Gabrielson, who leads the team in sacks, all three of which he got in a single game during the start of the season.
To prepare for upcoming games, like the game against Pacific Grove, the team gathers in the lifting room and examines film from practice, film from games, film of the other team, and even film of the other team in prior years.
“The film helps prepare us for anything the other team could be running that we need to adapt to or play around,” says senior defensive back James Iandoli.
The Padres nine-game win streak against teams in and outside the league can be partially attributed to how seriously the team takes their film sessions and the time coaches and players spend preparing for the game.
Outside of film, the leaders of the team work hard on the field. Junior Jackson Lloyd received individual awards last year. Senior Justin LeMaster leads the team in rushing yards with 547 yards and has scored seven touchdowns in the season.
Senior Ryder Scheid kicks an extra point for Carmel during their 46-12 win against Soledad. (photo by ALEXANDER FREDERICK)
The future of these Padres does not always end at high school. For Lloyd and Rees, the next step is to play in college. Lloyd has already received several Division I college offers spanning different sports including offers from Oregon State and UCLA.
With a strong program come strong seniors: LeMaster, Jason Baker, Iandoli, Cohen Brown, Oscar Weigel, and many others hope to leave a lasting legacy within the Carmel team.
The Padres hope to continue pancaking the competition as they approach the Central Coast Section tournament, which is scheduled to begin either Nov. 10 or 11.
