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Aug. 2, 2026
By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on X
VALLEY CHRISTIAN DEFENDERS
11-4 overall last season, 4-1 in the Ironwood League, second place, defeated Ramona High 14-12 in the Division 9 championship game
34-25 overall last five seasons
Head coach: Brendan Chambers (fourth season, 21-14)
Lost 22 seniors out of 33 players from 2025 opening day roster
Last missed the playoffs: 2024
2026 schedule
Aug. 21 @ Gahr (7-5 overall last season, D. 11)
Aug. 28 @ Mary Star of the Sea (7-3, D. 8)
Sept. 4 Cerritos (9-3, D. 9)
Sept. 11 Ontario Christian (0-10, D. 14)
Sept. 18 St. Anthony (3-8, D. 11)
Sept. 25 BYE
Oct. 2 Capistrano Valley Christian (3-7, D. 11)
Oct. 9 @ Village Christian (5-6, D. 10)
Oct. 16 @ Aquinas (9-2, D. 3)
Oct. 23 Western Christian (12-1, D. 11)
Oct. 30 Heritage Christian (6-5, D. 10)
It was an interesting 2025 season for Valley Christian High as it easily displayed its power against Gahr High in the season opener, then lost two straight games before winning 10 of its next 11 games including the CIF-Southern Section Division 9 championship game. But with the good comes the not so good as the Defenders graduated 22 players. They may have started the season with 33 players, including freshman Rory Brink, but ended with 48 as nine more freshmen and four sophomores were added to the playoff roster.
It took a couple of months since falling to San Diego-based Christian High in the Division 5-AA Southern California Regionals before head coach Brendan Chambers began to focus on spring and summer activities and prepare for this season.
“I would say January and February we kind of started to get back into some things,” said Chambers. “It took a couple of months to kind of wind down and then…refocus. I needed some time away just to kind of recuperate but also celebrate the success that we had.”
Now, the Defenders must deal with 11 returning players who began the season, plus the influx of juniors and sophomores who were on the junior varsity team and added to experience life in the playoffs. In fact, this season opener will see 14 sophomores and nine juniors along with the seniors.
“It was obviously a special season last year with so many seniors,” sad Chambers. “When I took over the program, all the seniors [who graduated] were sophomores and they’re all playing varsity for us, or most are playing varsity for us. We had them for three years and after three years, we had a special season. I feel like we’re back in that same cycle here. We have a lot of sophomores here who probably should be playing j.v. and they’re getting called up just because of the numbers that we have. It’s going to be one of those things where it’s going to be a building process.”
Chambers added that he’s comparing this situation to the one when we took over three years ago and is fortunate to have seniors Byron Louis and Graham Lunzer as two of the 11 upperclassmen on this season’s team. He thinks he is a step above that situation and there is potential to get back to where the Defenders were last season.
OFFENSE
In the 10 regular season outings, the Defenders scored 310 last season but did not score more than 28 points in any of the five postseason games. Lunzer, a transfer from St. John Bosco High, shined in the biggest way possible as he completed 138 passes out of 232 attempts, threw for 2,065 yards and 23 touchdowns with six interceptions before an injury at the end of the season sidelined him. Senior Liam Sweeney (71 of 109, 869 yards, nine touchdowns, five interceptions) was just as stellar in the backup role but has since moved to being a wide receiver. Backing up Lunzer will be sophomore Ian Faichney. In week seven or eight last season, Sweeney asked if he could get some wide receiver reps and little by little, he transitioned into that new position.
Chambers believes Lunzer is faster this season than he was last season and part of that came from the physical therapy and rehabilitation the signal caller had.
“It was special to have him come in and we had him and Liam compete for the job, and he obviously won the job,” said Chambers. “I think back to the Cerritos game specifically where we were kind of scoring at will and it was mostly him. He was dropping back to pass, and he was just taking off and running. It was kind of at that point in the season where he just took off and it made defenses respect his legs, which opened up the pass for him. I think that’s what makes him so good; the ability to do both.”
Lunzer scored six touchdowns in that game (four rushing, two passing) against the Dons, and he also led the Defenders in the rushing department with 519 yards on 132 carries with another 14 touchdowns.
The ground game will be set up by returning seniors Blake Butler and Louis (three carries, 13 yards) and if one goes by the numbers, the Defenders figure to be more of a passing team than a running team. Junior Trevor Torres and sophomores Leonard Graham and Tae Cooley are slated to be the backfield with Butler and Louis.
“There are four guys there who have played in the program, and there’s a lot of potential,” said Chambers. “But with that, there’s a lot of youth. I’m trying to figure out the offense; understanding who is supposed to do what.”
Louis (19 receptions, 336 yards, three touchdowns) and Sweeney (one reception, 25 yards) are slated to be the leading receivers with senior Sam Melcher being the tight end and sophomore Axel Johnston as the backup. Also in the wide receiving mix will be junior Nolan Van Duyn and sophomore Eli Zoetewey, who Chambers says has a lot of potential. Chambers continued to add that the depth of the wide receivers is better than it was last year.
If there is a major area of concern on offense, it is the line where it’s going to be a great question as he and his staff are still trying to figure it out. With two weeks before the regular season begins, Brink, the lone returning lineman, is the leading candidate to play left tackle while senior Rafael Gomez (left guard), sophomore Josh DeYoung (center), sophomore Taiden Ramirez (right guard), a transfer from Los Alamitos High and senior Tyler Moser (right tackle), junior Nathan Vreeke or sophomore Esteban Quintero.
“Thinking about where we started last year and where we finished last year, we have a completely different offense,” said Chambers. “We had Lucas Witt playing running back for us last year and we didn’t know Graham’s ability to run the football yet. With the receivers that we have, we’ll be a little bit more pass heavy than we were last year. But I think as long as the line protects him, we’re going to be all right offensively because of the receivers we do have.”
DEFENSE
Take away the 33 points V.C. gave up to Santa Ana Calvary Chapel High in the second game last season and the 40 points surrendered to Aquinas High in the only league setback, the Defenders allowed less than 15 points seven times, including five straight games from the last game of the regular season to the championship game.
The projected line will be handled by Johnston and Moser (eight tackles) at the ends with Brink and either Gomez or Ramirez taking the inside positions. The secondary figures to be held down by cornerbacks Louis (34 tackles, two interceptions) and either sophomore Levi Dean, Sweeney or Van Duyn with Butler (50 tackles), Torres, Zoetewey and Graham rotating for that safety positions.
Melcher (46 tackles, three sacks) is slated to be the top returning linebacker and will be joined by Cooley, seniors Austin Breceda and Isaac Seward and sophomore Jake Bomgaars being rotated in.
“There’s a lot of upside there; we’re very, very young,” said Chambers. “We run a certain defense of formation and recognition. It’s tough to compare it to last year because that defense last year, especially inside the box, was just so good. I’m talking about those front four and the two linebackers we had were very special.”
SCHEDULE
If V.C. can get to the playoffs for the second straight season and fifth in the last seven seasons, and go far once again, the Defenders will have truly earned it with the youth on board as seven of their opponents went to the playoffs last season and six had a winning record. The Defenders are on the road for the first two games, hoping to even the all-time record after a dozen games against Gahr before bouncing back from last season’s 22-21 loss to Mary Star of the Sea High, ending a four-game winning streak against the Stars.
“I think Gahr, obviously last year, was an easier game for us,” said Chambers. “I think this year will be a little bit different. I think they’re going to be better this year; I think it’s going to be a competitive game for us. I know they’ve lost some key players…and it’s going to be a good game, and I think it’s one that we can win, and I hope we can pull that one out.
“Mary Star, on the other hand, I know they brought in a lot of transfers last year when we played them,” he continued. “I just heard through the grapevine they have some more transfers coming in. They have a freshman quarterback who is really good. I think that’s going to be a tough one for us on the road.”
The maroon and gold have yet to lose to Cerritos High in five meetings and own a 14-12 mark against longtime rival Ontario Christian High. Then V.C. entertains St. Anthony High before its bye week, again hoping to square that series after eight games.
The Defenders hope to open the Ironwood League with another win just like they did last season against Capistrano Valley Christian High before going back on the road for two straight contests. Western Christian High replaces Ontario Christian as a league foe and V.C. owns an 18-3 record against Heritage Christian High who they defeated 35-25 last season.
Since 1998, the Defenders own a 33-14 against the five Ironwood League teams for this season, having never faced rookie school Western Christian and losing all four to Aquinas by a combined score of 180-20.
HOMECOMING
When V.C. fell to Mary Star of the Sea 22-21 last season, it was the first time the program had lost on its homecoming night since 2022. Since 1998, V.C. has won 24 of its homecoming games and this season appears to be a 25th victory as it entertains Capistrano Valley Christian. This will be the third time since 1998 that these two have played each other. Last season, the Defenders posted a 35-26 victory and two seasons ago, in the first season of the Ironwood League, V.C. came out on top.
“It will be a little bit of excitement with homecoming and obviously there will be a lot of distractions there,” said Chambers. “No one ever wants to lose their homecoming game. So, hopefully we can kind of be locked in, especially after having our bye week. It’s a perfect time before we start league play.”
FINAL COMMENT
“I’m excited; I think one of the things I love most about this job is building relationships with these guys inside the locker room, the weight training class, and out on the football field,” said Chambers. “I think I got super close to last year’s team because I was able to coach them for three years. Now I get that same opportunity again; where I get to work with guys like Graham and Liam and Sam…and now I also have this influx of younger guys who I’m trying to help grow and mold in the next three years. So I’m excited to build that relationship with them.”
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