The goal for the Riverview Raiders is the same every year — to win a state championship. But the most pressing goal is to win the next game — whoever the opponent.
“I believe really great teams are made up of great men, and that’s what we are trying to make these guys become,” first-year head coach Daniel Bristo said. “If you do that, the winning will take care of itself.
“Our goal is to be great students, to build up this community and this school, and give our district something to be proud of.”
On the field, there are still a lot of unknowns for the Raiders, who finished 7-4 overall and 5-2 in the Class 4A-2 Conference a year ago. Bristo said Riverview, who lost in the first round of the state playoffs to DeWitt last season, only returns five seniors this fall, so “everybody is going to be new.”
“We’ve got to get some reps against another team to see what we do well,” Bristo said. “We’ve got to get hit in the mouth a few times, but I have no idea yet.
“Our guys are getting out here, getting after it and having fun, and that’s what we are excited about.”
Bristo said he has a handful of sophomores that he knows are going to start, including Koby Teeter and Bryan Dickey. He said they did well at the junior high level, but playing at the varsity level is a different game.
Junior Harley Sawtelle is 6-5 and is in the running to start at quarterback, and Bristo said Sawtelle has a lot of potential.
“I don’t know how he is going to do yet,” the coach said, “but Sawtelle is in the running and is looking good at practice.”
Bristo said junior Israel Gameros is like a Swiss Army knife and can line up anywhere, including at running back, quarterback and wide receiver.
Junior linebacker Adrian Gutierrez was a spot starter a year ago, and Bristo said Gutierrez
has come a long way and can “easily stick his body in there, make a play and plug in a hole.”
Junior Eric Brown will start as the team’s place kicker and punter. Bristo said he has been impressed with where Brown is putting the ball, and surprisingly, he will also be the team’s starting center.
“Eric is an average-size kicker but a small center,” Bristo said. “He has got great hips and good feet and can get in the gap and protect, and he does well. I think Eric is going to do just fine.”
Bristo said senior Cody Arrowood started at corner and receiver last year and has shown some promise, as well as senior wide receiver Kamil Preciado. Senior running back and linebacker John Stracener will get a lot of playing time this year, Bristo said.