Rancho Mirage
offseason and now stands 6-foot-1, finished the season with 1,401 yards and 14 touchdowns, throwing just six interceptions, in eight games.
All-league running back Jeremiah Williams, also a senior, and all-league receiver and defensive back Kobee Finnikin, a junior, also returning. The trio will be the unquestioned leaders of the Rattlers' locker room.
Offense
Offensively, it's easy to argue that Rancho Mirage should be the best in the DEL. In addition to Padilla, Williams and Finnikin, junior receiver Jeremiah Johnson is also expected to play a starring role. The 6-foot-1 track star had a solid sophomore year on the football field in 2023, and Matthews says that Johnson took a big step forward over the off-season.
Up front, first team all-league lineman Izaiah Heffern returns. He and Sysko Rios, a second team allleague selection, give the Rattlers a pair of linemen who are among the best in the DEL.
Barring injury, there's no reason this shouldn't be one of the most explosive offenses in the entire valley.
Defense
Defensively, the Rattlers lost four first team all-league selections to graduation. But there's still a lot of talent and versatility returning, starting with Finnikin at cornerback and Williams likely playing some linebacker and safety. Noah Hook is another defensive back to watch. He was an all-league honorable mention a year ago, and had some of his best games at the biggest moments of the season.
Adrian Calvillo and Lytrell Cavers will lead the defense up front. Senior Rylan Warfield and juniors Noel Ruvalcaba, Hines Verazas and an athletic Angel Duran will man the linebacker spots.
Coach Matthews says
“We can finish first place again or be last in the league. Our league will be tough. Two factors that will decide: Our discipline and commitment to each other . ... as well as we need to stay healthy through our difficult test of non-league games.
“We are developing depth at many positions that have graduated and those players are very capable and will need to step up this year and fill those voids.”
Our prediction
Rancho Mirage probably has the best individual talent in the DEL. The Rattlers have all-league players at multiple key positions, so there's a reason to like their chances of repeating as league champs.
Assuming the key players stay healthy, we expect them to finish among the top two teams in the league; either first or second place.
That means either 5-0 or 4-1 in league, with a competitive non-league slate. The game in Hawaii as well as the game at home a week later, against Coachella Valley, are probably toss-ups. So is the next game, against Tahquitz. But following that stretch, the Rattlers will then have the softer part of their schedule over the net three weeks.
Projected regular season record: 7-3
Andrew John covers sports for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com.