CHICO – One season after a 10-2 record and first place finish in the Eastern Athletic League, the Chico High School football team is entering a new era – now led by new head coach Chris Click.
Click, who is in his 11th season with the Panthers after spending the last eight seasons as defensive coordinator, takes over an extremely young team after the 2023-24 season with 14 seniors graduating.
What the Panthers lack in on-field experience, they make up for in athleticism, Click said. Because of the lack of on-field experience, the Panthers will focus on discipline and the fundamentals during the final two weeks of practice and preseason schedule – effort, attitude, and stressing that nothing should be taken for granted just because the Panthers program is coming off a strong season.
“I really want to make sure we put in the effort and the energy and try to learn as fast as we can,” Click said. “We’re super young. I want to improve our character as kids. Improve our grades, improve our attendance, improve our behavior in school. That’s something we really need to do better, and that’s one of my goals. To improve that.”
“Hopefully we can see that it’s not just about how good you are as a football player, but we have to ask ourselves if you are a good person in our community. I think that’s something we need to work on. There are some difficult things happening in our world right now, so we need to try to make our community better. That’s something that’s really close to my heart and important to me.”
The Panthers’ inexperience may be evident early in the season, as only four players have spent significant time on the college team. Linebacker/tight end Gabe Rodriguez has been on the college team for four seasons, and teammates Ryker James (linebacker) and Jaden Neugebauer (running back/defensive back) have seen significant playing time as three-year college players. Luke Henderson played tight end last season, but has moved to the offensive line to add depth to a line with little experience.
“We have a lot of young, fast athletes and good players, but we’re still super new in the trenches,” Click said. “The positive is that hopefully we can create tough competition in practice and nobody is just doing their job. You hope they’re motivated to learn and compete. Plus, you get a chance to teach kids from the ground up, which is always fun.”
Similar to Pleasant Valley’s Gavin Garretson, Click said Rodriguez was the only player who secured a starting position early in practice.
“Not only is he a great player, he’s a great kid. He’s the captain of the team, without question,” Click said of Rodriguez. “He’s the first in the weight room and the last out. He never misses practice. The only time he’s missed practice was when he was at a national wrestling tournament, other than that he doesn’t miss anything.”
Click admitted that the two biggest position groups with the least experience are his quarterbacks and offensive line, as no one has played at either position at the college level. Click brought in college-level freshman coach Chris McHenry to help on the offensive line. Clayton Welch, a former Panthers quarterback who later played at Syracuse, assists with the quarterbacks alongside quarterback coach Roger Cruz.
Quarterbacks Jacob Heizer, Tanner Horn and Emilio Vierra are all competing for the starting job, and Click said he doesn’t expect to name a full-time starter until Week One against Nevada Union on Aug. 23. Click expects all three QBs to get time in non-league games and hopes to select one before the Panthers’ Week Six game against Enterprise on Oct. 11.
While Click sees the Panthers’ strengths in their athleticism and on-field leadership from players like Henderson, Rodriguez, James and Neugebauer, he sees their weaknesses in youth and immaturity. He hopes to address that in practice to avoid in-game penalties as the season progresses.
“We’re going to have a lot of people getting people in shape and teaching them the right mindset,” Click said. “I can definitely say I still have a lot of work to do on discipline and mindset.”
Rodriguez believes the experience he and other team leaders have gained from former teammates will help lead this year’s team back to the sectional championship – something this team can accomplish despite its youth. If the Panthers can do it, it will come down to leadership and commitment.
“We have to show our leadership and do everything the right way,” Rodriguez said. “Not run onto the field, sprint everywhere and not be the rude leader. Not be the guy that just talks. Show it and teach it. I think we just have to keep working hard. We’re a little short on players, but as long as we keep ourselves fit and get in the weight room every day, we’ll do what we need to do.”
