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August 6, 2026
By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on X
After splitting its first four games last season with Dwon Drummer now in charge of a struggling program, John Glenn High reverted back to the identities the program has had for at least 30 seasons. In the eight seasons of the 605 League, the Eagles went 26-45 and advanced to the playoffs in 2018 and 2019. The program needed the final 10 seasons of the Suburban League to match the win total accomplished in the 605 League and since 1998, had reached the playoffs once, which came in 2002.
Now, the Eagles are situated in the Rio Vista League of the inaugural Suburban Valley Conference and unlike its life in the 605 League, the program has a better chance to either make the CIF-Southern Section playoffs more times or be more competitive than they were in the old Suburban League or the 605 League.
“Looking back, I feel like it took about two games of competitive football before they started to believe that they could win,” said Drummer of last season. “It took them to feel like okay, it’s a little different than it was the previous year; we’re competing, we have a chance to win, we’re moving the ball, we’re stopping them on defense, special teams isn’t a nightmare. I think it took about two or three games before they started to believe.”
He continued to say that it took the team about three games before the players started to believe what the coaching staff was coaching and the process. The Eagles won in their fourth game of the season but with a small team in terms of numbers, the injuries began to pile up, and Glenn had one lead over the final six games.
He added that it was a rollercoaster ride of a football season, and the team was close in the final six games; it had opportunities and competed but could not finish the games. Drummer also said he was looking for team comradery; guys coming together for one common goal.
“We didn’t find it until guys started to get injured,” he continued. “I think we were at our best when we hit league. Unfortunately, we just had some devastating injuries; we just had some really bad injuries that hit us at the wrong time. But I think if you take away those injuries, I think it’s a different outcome.
“The one thing that I wanted to change was just the fight in the kids; the willingness to fight no matter what the outcome is,” he later said. “After our second win, we went on a losing streak. One of the best games I felt was that Artesia game because we didn’t have three out of our top four offensive guys. We competed, we fought, we had our opportunities to win games that were close games and unfortunately, with the exception of Cerritos, I think there was a moment in each game where we felt confident as a team. That’s what I was ultimately looking for.”
With one full year with the program under his belt, Drummer said the buy in and the understanding of what the expectation level is to be a football player at Glenn is ‘definitely better’. He added that he doesn’t get pushback on certain things. But there are similar issues every year.
OFFENSE
The Eagles began the season on a promising note, scoring 101 in their first four games. But after that they struggled and scored only 32 points while getting shutout twice. Two weeks away from the 2026 season opener, Glenn will have 31 players on the team, but only five of them are seniors. Returning at quarterback is junior Ryder Perez but he is competing with junior David Segura, a member of the baseball team who was a transfer from La Serna High.
“I would say Ryder has an advantage,” said Drummer. “He started five games last year; he’s got an advantage in playing time and he’s been under the fire whereas David, this is his first time playing quarterback. But he’s a hard worker and a hell of a student. I felt like he was probably our next best guy who I would trust to go run the team.”
At running back, it will be senior Matthew Vasquez, who had a great summer, especially in the seven on seven competitions, juniors Gerardo Guevara and Damian Hernandez, and sophomore Kellen Huckleberry.
Catching the balls will be seniors Andre Romo at tight end, Cody Smith, juniors Makhi Andres and Alijah Hunter, who was on the team two seasons ago but did not play last season, and Huckleberry. Drummer says that the team will have ‘a bunch of role players’, like juniors Carlos Rubio and Eduardo Torres who are more like Swiss army knives where they can play at multiple locations. But Andres, Hunter, Romo and Smith will be the focal points of what the offense brings.
“It’s going to be a different team because a lot of our best athletes are out on the edge,” said Drummer. “So, you might even see them in the backfield every so often.”
The offensive line will be handled by junior Jayden Chavarin, who was the center last season but will be moved to one of the guard spots or maybe one of the tackle positions, sophomore Rodrigo Iniguez, who will be at one of the tackle positions and junior center Daniel Carrillo, who was the right guard last season. Juniors Sebastian Gonzalez, Xavier Leon, who is slated to be the backup center. and Ryan Silva are also considered to be on the line.
“I would say losing 12 seniors is tough, but I will also say that those 12 seniors had three, maybe four different football coaches in their tenure here at Glenn,” said Drummer. “I think I did not get the best of those guys until late in their senior season. I wouldn’t say that we’re taking a step back; I just think it’s a different approach. The work ethic is a lot better with this group just because they bought in from day one. But from a talent level, it’s going to be tough losing those 12 guys because they were talented.”
DEFENSE
Glenn surrendered at least 21 points in each of its final five games of the season after giving up 96 in the first five, which included none to California Military Institute. Chavarin, Gonzalez, Iniguez, Segura and Silva along with sophomore Giovanny Andres, a transfer from Norwalk High, are slated to be on the line. The secondary will be occupied by Makhi Andres, junior Gerardo Guevara, Huckleberry, Hunter, Rubio, Torres, and Vasquez while senior Lugo Sanchez-Thao, Carrillo, Hernandez, and Romo will be the key linebackers.
“Having Jayden…Jayden is a difference maker,” said Drummer. “He changes the landscape of your defense just because he puts so much pressure on the offensive line. Without a good offensive line, or without offensive linemen being able to protect or create lanes to run…you can kind of shakeup an offense and their ability to be consistent. I think that’s what he does; he puts a lot of pressure on guys.
“At every level, we have a really dynamic football player,” he continued. “At [defensive line], we have Jayden, at linebacker we have Andre Romo, and at [defensive back] we have Kellen Huckleberry. I think we’re going to throw a lot of teams off this year because we have two 6’2” corners who are long and rangy and athletic. I think that will help us a lot on the back end.”
SCHEDULE
Out of 376 schools that competed in CIF-Southern Section 11-man football, Glenn was ranked 360th by the time the regular season had concluded. While that may not seem a statistic one would boast or brag about, all 10 of this season’s opponents were ranked anywhere from 278th to 375th. Half of the teams the Eagles will face this season are repeats from 2025, including the season opener against Mountain View High, whom they fell 47-21 and none of them had a winning record last season.
“When you have a coach who has coached as long as coach [Mark] Paredes has, he’s going to have those kids ready to play, and he’s going to have them ready to do what they do,” Drummer said of Mountain View’s head coach. “Last year, they were tough; they played hard and even when we came back and took the lead from them, they never stopped. They never took their foot off the gas, and they never stopped believing in whatever it was they were preaching. I know that’s going to be a tough game; I expect another close game right there.”
Glenn has not faced Century High since 2000, a 20-13 victory, and go on the road the next two games against teams it defeated last season. Following their bye, the Eagles host Alhambra High for the first time since at least 1998 before jumping into the new league where they hope to have better success than the former Suburban League or even the 605 League. The contest against Whittier High is also the first since at least 1998.
“Whittier is going to be tough because Whittier is a big high school with a lot of kids,” said Drummer. “They have a new coach who comes with a great reputation for having a winning program and building a winning program. That’s probably going to be our toughest game, probably with the exception of Artesia, who is Uber talented this year.”
Glenn’s last win over Artesia High came in 2019 and it had defeated Pioneer High three straight times and four out of five before forfeiting the 2024 contest and falling to the Titans 26-12 last season. The Eagles clearly had their way with Firebaugh High on two previous meetings, 49-9 in 2022 and 40-8 the season before.
“I’m confident no matter who we play,” said Drummer. “The thing about me and what I’m bringing is we’re the underdog no matter what. I don’t care who we play. I never want these kids to go in feeling like they got it. We’re at a school of 700 kids; we’re at a school that has a reputation for not being great in athletics, we’re in a city that’s looked down. I want them to have that chip on their shoulders. I embrace it; I embrace that we are the underdog and that’s the position that we take every game.”
HOMECOMING
Last season, the Eagles blanked California Military Institute 14-0 on their homecoming game, just the sixth time since 1998 they hosted a non-league opponent on the special night. The only scores in that game came in the second and fourth quarters. Alhambra is one of two teams Glenn will face this season which advanced to the playoffs in 2025, falling in the quarterfinals. Glenn has eight homecoming wins since 1998, two coming in the last three seasons.
“Just from my time as a junior college coach, I recruited Alhambra,” said Drummer. “They’re going to be well-coached; they’re going to be disciplined and they’re going to have a clue. So, we’re going to have to bring our ‘A’ game to be able to match up well against them. If I say we have any extra motivation, it’s homecoming. I feel like that should give us enough motivation to overcome the fact that they’re going to be a well-coached team and they’re going to have some good players.”
FINAL COMMENT
“I think it’s crazy,” said Drummer of the upcoming season. “The lack of senior leadership, I think, is where we’re going to struggle. We still have some growing up to do; even though a lot of those sophomores from last year played, they still have to grow up. It’s going to take us a few games to get those guys where we need them to be. Losing 12 seniors [last season] is going to hurt us; only having five seniors, and this is the bad part, only two of those five played significant time last year. That’s the struggle for us.”
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