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July 28, 2026
By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on X
CERRITOS DONS
9-3 overall last season, 3-0 in the 605 League, lost to Ramona High 48-22 in the Division 9 quarterfinals
36-24 overall last five seasons
Head coach: Demel Franklin (fourth season, 26-12)
Lost 20 seniors out of 48 players from 2025 roster
Last missed the playoffs: 2019
2026 schedule
Aug. 20 @ Cypress (3-7 overall last season, D. 7)
Aug. 28 Gahr (7-5, D. 11)
Sept. 4 @ Valley Christian (11-4, D. 9)
Sept. 11 Marina (6-5, D. 8)
Sept. 17 Contreras Learning Center (8-5, CIF-City Section Central League)
Sept. 25 BYE
Oct. 2 @ La Mirada (4-7, D. 8)
Oct. 9 @ Mayfair (4-7, D. 7)
Oct. 16 @ La Serna (9-4, D. 5)
Oct. 23 Downey (9-2, D. 2)
Oct. 30 Warren (4-8, D. 9)
Over the past eight seasons of the original 605 League, Cerritos High dominated the four-team circuit to the tune of a 18-6 league record. However, what the Dons did the past two seasons had a lot to say about the 2026 season which includes the debut of the new 20-school Suburban Valley Conference. Now, Cerritos will spend at least this season in the top league of the conference, facing five league opponents who also were among the best of the best the past two seasons based off power rankings.
“It’s a huge jump,” said Cerritos head coach Demel Franklin. “I mean, you can’t even compare where we were in, to what we’re going into. We’re playing big boy football now, and we’re in the big boy league, and we have to prove that we belong. I know that we belong there. Where we’ll finish…that will all play out, but we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
The Dons went to the playoffs for the fifth straight season, reaching the quarterfinals for the second time in the last three seasons. However, the program must deal with the reality of losing a good chunk of who made the program where it is today.
“Last season was incredible,” said Franklin. “We had the best offensive line, I think, we’ve ever had here with Chidubem [Ozoagu], with [Devion] Stinson, with Jonathan [Avendano] and with Luke [Bocanegra]. Losing those four all in one year is huge; absolutely enormous. But we have some returners coming back. That’s going to be the biggest challenge.”
OFFENSE
If there is anything from this summer that the Dons can build from heading into the regular season, it’s the fact that they recently won the Ocean View Seahawks seven on seven passing tournament.
“You can’t put a lot [of stock into it] but I just like how we competed against teams we’ve never seen or have never played before,” said Franklin. “The fact that our athletes can match up with their athletes…yes, it’s T-shirts and shorts and everything changes with a helmet on. It gives is a small sense of confidence that we can at least run with these guys.”
Despite the Dons having graduated or lost 2,346 yards and 32 rushing touchdowns worth of talent from last season’s team. Franklin admitted that the biggest loss on this side of the ball is LaBrenten Wilson, who led the team with 1,432 all-purpose yards. But filling in the shoes of the offensive stars who graduated will be seniors Terrance Grissom and Sam Reeves, the latter rushing for 322 yards on 48 carries and finding the endzone three times in seven games. Grissom had 42 receptions for 461 yards and caught four touchdowns while scoring on his only carry, which went for 53 yards. Both are expected to play both ways and as Franklin added, will ‘provide electric plays for us and be that spark’.
Because of what he did last season in seven games, and a full offseason with the program since coming over from John Glenn High, Reeves is expected to be the featured back this season and will catch a lot of passes as well.
“He’s going to have his work cut out for him,” said Franklin. “He has to be in the best shape of his life, which he is. He’s as big as he’s ever been, as strong as he’s ever been and is fast as he’s ever been. He’s a captain and we expect him to lead us.”
Cerritos may have other returners coming back, and Franklin admitted the Dons are in rebuilding mode with their skilled athletes, but at the same time, he’s confident in what he has this season, and it begins with junior quarterback Evan McDonald, a transfer from St. Paul High, who is expected to be the starting quarterback over returning senior Alexander Laurin (11 of 14, 131 yards, one touchdown, one interception last season).
Getting some carries besides Reeves will be senior Jaffeth Ortiz, but even with that said, the Dons are lined up to be more of a passing team as seniors Uriah Archie, juniors Roman Bateman, who is expected to have a huge year, according to Franklin, Noah Sarno, and sophomore Blake Takakawa are the guys expected to pick up a good chunk of yards. However, Franklin isn’t admitting an edge as to whether the black and gold will be a running team or a passing team.
Senior Matthew McCoy, a transfer from Bishop Montgomery High, who has had a big summer, has attracted a lot of college interest and program’s winningest head coach from the past 25 season predicts he will play collegiate ball.
“It’s going to come down to leadership,” said Franklin. “I still don’t have a defined ‘this is my number one leader’ on this team. I have three really good leaders-[senior] Noah Schaffer, Terrence Grissom and Sam Reeves.”
The area of concern on offense lies with the five players up front who will protect the other six with junior left tackle Jared Fernandez, junior left guard Julian Cazares, a transfer from Warren High, senior center Jayden Marcos-Mena and senior right tackle Noah Edwards. Yet to be determined is the right guard position where several players are vying for that spot. In the mix are sophomores Nicolas Hsu and Nathan Martinez.
According to Franklin, assistant coach Cesar Moreno, who has been developing the offensive linemen, feels good about what he has.
“How I do my offense is I never want my cupboard to be bare,” said Franklin. “If you are an underclassman and you’re not ready for the spotlight, I’m going to keep spoon-feeding you. By the time you become a senior, it’s your time; you’ve seen that guy do it and now it’s your time. I’ll have three guys in that role, and the lead guy will take it while the other two will evolve in the secondary. If one of them fall away, I already have two backups. There’s just too many unpredictable things in coaching to where you always have to have the next guy ready. If not, it will eat your entire season and it’s not fair to all those kids who trust you.”
DEFENSE
The line stacks up with Fernandez and Schaffer, who will be the key guy of the front four, at the ends and Marcos and junior Damian Rodriguez locking down the inside spots. Grissom, who had 29 tackles and one interception last season, and junior Dominic Najera, a transfer from Santa Fe High, are slated to be the starting cornerbacks with senior Jordan Ju (30 tackles) and juniors Trishun Smith or Jameir Thomas playing the safety positions. Archie (51 tackles, one sack), Reeves and Schaffer are expected to be the main linebackers.
SCHEDULE
There will not be an easy contest this season for Dons despite one non-league opponent and three from the Gateway League having losing marks from last season. In fact, only Cypress High did not make the playoffs, and the Dons will be seeking to avenge last season’s 17-14 loss to the Centurions. After that, Cerritos goes back to back with city rivals who like the Dons, have recent division championship appearances. Cerritos won the CIF-SS Division 12 title three seasons ago, Gahr High fell in the Division 13 finals the next season and Valley Christian High claimed the Division 9 crown last season.
Since the rivalry was renewed in 2022, Cerritos has defeated Gahr in three of the past four seasons after having fallen to the Gladiators 13 straight times. Since 1998, Gahr leads the series 15-9 while against V.C., the Dons have dropped all five meetings since 2013. Cerritos faces Marina High for the first time since at least 1997 before concluding the non-league portion against a CIF-Los Angeles City Section team.
“First five games, we start with a tough one,” said Franklin. “They beat us last year; we made a ton of mistakes, and we still had chances to win, and we didn’t. They executed and we didn’t. That’s a thorn still stuck in my paw right now. We have to make sure we exercise that.”
Because of the expanded and revamped Suburban Valley Conference, and how the schedule shaped out, the Dons are not playing longtime rivals Artesia High and John Glenn High for the first time since at least 1998, at least for this season.
It will jump into the lion’s den with three straight road league contests followed by home encounters with the top two teams from the Gateway League last season. Cerritos has an all-time record of 1-35 against La Mirada High and Mayfair High from 1999-2017 when those two former Suburban League combatants ended those rivalries and has not played Downey High, La Serna High or Warren High since at least 1997. Cerritos did knock off La Mirada 28-17 in 2001 when it claimed a share of the Suburban League title.
“Hopefully by then, we will have hit our stride,” said Franklin of the new league. “We will have already had five games to somewhat prepare us to go into [league]. Based on what we’ve been playing the last two years, it’s going to be eye-opening. [The league opener] against La Mirada is going to be a great test for our team.
“End of the year with Downey and Warren…we’re not going to play a better opponent then them in the playoffs,” he later said. “Definitely not better than Downey; they’re Division 2, so there’s no way we’re going to play anybody, it seems like that, if we are fortunate to get into the playoffs. I just hope that we’re healthy. If we’re healthy, I like our chances.”
HOMECOMING
For the first time probably in the history of the program, the Dons will face a CIF-L.A. City Section school for their homecoming. Miguel Contreras Learning Center opened in 2006 and the Cobras from the Central League.
After falling under .500 during its first two seasons, Contreras posted a 6-4 mark in 2010 and 5-5 in 2012. The Cobras would not enjoy a winning season until 2017 when they went 7-4, the first of three seasons (also in 2021 and 2024) of finishing 7-4 before last season’s school record of eight victories.
The Dons defeated Wilson High from Hacienda Heights 53-17 in their homecoming game last season exactly a year ahead of their bye week this season. It was the first of three games where Cerritos scored at least 50 points and marked the most points the program has scored in a homecoming game since at least 1998 and over the past 26 seasons, the Dons are 8-18 when hosting their homecoming contest.
FINAL COMMENT
“We’re a really tight knit group.” said Franklin. “It’s different from any other team; like every other team I’ve had, it seemed like we bought in sooner at an earlier date. So I’m curious to see how that’s going to pay off for us at the end of the season. They’re really, really tight; not to say that the other teams weren’t tight, it just seems like we clicked a little bit sooner than other seasons.”
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