2016 Mojave Football Capsule

MOJAVE

League: Class 3A Sunset

Head coach: Abraham Gonzalez, first season (0-0)

2015 record: 6-4 (5-2 Sunset League, third)

Returning lettermen: 20

Returning starters: Six offense, seven defense

Base offensive set: Spread

Base defensive set: 4-3

Top offensive players: RB Khalid Walker (Sr.), WR Taiwan Braden (Sr.)

Top defensive players: LB Blake Fitzgerald (Sr.), LB Khalid Walker (Sr.)

Key losses: QB/S Lamaja Cunningham, MLB Kaleb Friedman, DE Kyle Reynolds

Outlook: New head coach Abraham Gonzalez inherits a squad that returns more than half its starters on both sides of the ball, but will have to find a new signal caller. It’s an experienced group who will look to build off a third-place league finish last season.

Like a lot of football teams at any level, finding a quarterback will be key to run Gonzalez’s spread offense. Last year’s quarterback rushed the fourth-most times of any player, and if junior quarterback Kyle McMillan can fill that role, it could make a deadly one-two bunch in the backfield with returning top rusher Khalid Walker.