In the final weeks of its 2023 campaign, Lathrop went from celebrating a milestone to mulling the pain of defeat a week later.
Some of the juniors wasted little time in gearing up for what could be their final go on the grid iron.
“It came down to just knowing that we don’t have football forever, and that last game made us realize we needed to make the most of the time now,” returning wingback Andre Muqhar said. “Losing that game sucked. We really wanted to go deep into the playoffs.”
The Spartans are using the successes as well as the failures from their historic 2023 as fuel.
Their season ended with a 46-18 loss to second-seeded Casa Roble, the eventual Sac-Joaquin Section Division V champion. It started with back-to-back losses to intra-district rival Sierra and SJS Division VI finalist Bradshaw Christian. And with an opportunity to claim its first-ever league title, Lathrop lost a 37-20 heartbreaker at Los Banos while one of its defensive standouts sustained a season-ending injury.
Between the stinging setbacks were sweet victories, however. The Spartans handled Foothill 47-0 for their first-ever postseason win. They finished 8-4, marking the best single season in program history.
They also strung together an all-time best six-game winning streak.
Lathrop experienced program-wide success. Coming up are juniors that went 7-3 at the JV level last year, when each of their losses were decided by less than seven points. And the freshman team went undefeated in Western Athletic Conference play, going 5-3 overall.
“There’s a lot of excitement from the young guys,” fourth-year coach Ryan Teicheira said. “The kids (returning) from last year got a taste of the playoffs, and as soon as the game from Casa Roble was over, they wanted to get back to work.
“The expectations for this season are where they should be. We have a tough preseason — that’s going to be our gauntlet. Our expectations since we’ve taken over the program was to compete for league and get into the playoffs. They’ve bought in and are doing the work. We’re excited to see where this season goes.”
Here is a look ahead to the Spartans’ 2024 season:
Putting it on the D-line
Teicheira has helped Lathrop establish an identity through its physical run offense.
He believes this could be the time for the defense to shine.
“Our defense this year is going to be our strong suit,” he said. “I’m an offensive guy, I love our offense and I think we’re going to be great again, but I can’t wait to see what our defense can do.”
The optimism stems from the returning defensive linemen. Leading the way is two-time All-WAC first-team selection Sean Teu, who is sporting a leaner and more chiseled look at 6-foot-1, 225 pounds.
Casyn Hopping is eager to make up for loss time after dislocating an elbow in the Los Banos game. The 6-7, 235-pound defensive end was having a breakout season up until that point. Javier Guevara gives Lathrop some added girth and experience at defensive tackle.
“Our defensive line just takes care of business, whether it’s in the weight room or on the practice field,” Teu said. “We’re hard-nosed. Same with the linebackers, they also have some big bodies. As long as the DBs continue to progress, we could be a complete unit.”
Middle linebacker Pablo Pena impressed as a sophomore, earning All-WAC second-team honors. Seniors Michael Adams and Muqhar are other hard-hitting, veteran backers.
Wing-Tough offense
The Spartans’ Wing-T attack graduated some important pieces, such as fullback Julio Garcia and left tackle Dominic Corral, but that won’t change the way they’re going to play.
“The success we’ve had comes down to hard work and our mind set,” Muqhar said. “Physicality is what got us here. Coach Teicheira prides our offense on physicality and discipline.”
Despite his small frame, Muqhar typifies Lathrop’s hard-running style. He was the second-leading rusher behind Garcia with 883 yards (6.7 per carry) and 12 touchdowns. Muqhar was featured at wingback but had to fill in at other spots because of injuries. That versatility will be put to use this season.
“Muqhar is going to move everywhere,” Teicheira said. “He’s got the little engine that doesn’t know when to stop and I love that about him. Offensively, we will find ways to get him the ball.”
The 6-foot, 230-pound Pena (622 yards, seven TDs) takes over as the starting fullback. Teu may get more reps on offense as a blocking wing or fullback. Senior Chris Ramos is a breakout candidate at tailback, and Jordan Blase is back behind center.
The gauntlet
With heightened expectations, Lathrop is not shying away from competition.
The Spartans added an explosive Patterson team to their schedule, and the Tigers return all of their top offensive weapons after narrowly losing to small-school powerhouse Escalon 36-35 in the SJS Division IV final.
They’ve also kept Old River Rivalry foe Mountain House on the schedule as a non-league opponent. Mountain House has been moved out of the WAC and is joining Patterson in the mighty Valley Oak League.
Lathrop opens against Sierra, another VOL member, for a second straight year. Teicheira looks forward to the rematch with his alma mater, which he helped win a state championship in 2015 as offensive playcaller.
“We wanted to get games that are going to give us what Casa Roble gave us in the playoffs,” Teicheira said.
He also hopes the tougher competition boosts his team’s Calpreps rating, which factors into postseason seeding. Plus, his defense will get tested out the gate by three spread offenses.
WAC throne up for grabs
Mountain House is out. So is two-time reigning champion Los Banos, which is 6-0 all-time against Lathrop.
With two of its chief rivals out of the picture, the Spartans’ path to the elusive first title is clear, right?
Not so fast.
“We still have a lot of work to do,” Teu said. “We’re going into the season humble and just ready for whatever team is playing us.”
Ceres, Grace Davis, Johansen and Pacheco are among the remaining schools, and they haven’t necessarily been walkovers for WAC contenders in recent years. In addition, Central Valley and Livingston arrive from stronger leagues with something prove.
“Central Valley and Livingston are going to be challenges,” Muqhar said. “I don’t expect them to be easy, because coming into a new league I know they want that title, too. We’re going to treat them like every other team.”
Outlook
Entering his fourth year as Lathrop’s coach, Teicheira is seeing the fruits of his labor.
“With these (seniors), this is my first class that has been with me for four years,” he said. “That’s part of the excitement, is seeing what has been built and seeing what the culture is like.”
After getting a whiff of success, these Spartans are eyeing future conquests.
“I think the expectation this year is to go deep into the playoffs,” Muqhar said. “We want to go win (a section championship) and keep playing the sport that we all love for as long as we can. Just enjoy it, because we don’t have much time left. We’re building a culture at Lathrop to where we make the playoffs every year and fight for that section title.”
