Prep Football Summer Series: Calipatria Hornets

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Rick Stewart isn't shy about his expectations. In fact, the new head coach of the Calipatria Hornets believes his team has what it takes to get back to the CIF Division 5AA championship game, and win it again.

"I'll be honest, I'll be a little confident...maybe people can call me cocky," Stewart said. "I think we can get back to this game."

Coming off a historic 2024 season where Calipatria captured its first section title in program history, Stewart is taking over for Tony Leon, who stepped down to build the wrestling program at Imperial Valley College.

But Stewart isn't new to the Hornets; he served as both offensive and defensive coordinator during last year's run and helped build the identity that led Calipatria to a title.

Last year's team, led by players like Dominic Hawk and Oscar Lopez, won't be easy to replace.

"We're not even gonna try to replace Dominic Hawk," Stewart said. "He's a generational player. You get a player like that once every ten years."

But Stewart believes the Hornets are better built for long-term success now than they were even a year ago.

"We're not rebuilding. We're reloading,” he said. "We had 56 kids in our summer workouts...the most in school history. A bunch of seniors just came out of the woodwork. It's contagious. The energy is real."

That energy is being channeled through a more serious, year-round approach. Stewart credits Leon for getting the ball rolling with a new weight room thanks to community donations and local support.

This year, Calipatria's school board also approved a dedicated strength training class an important step, according to Stewart.

"You can't build a football program without a year-round weight program," he said. "The boys have worked really, really hard. This isn't just about getting bigger. It's about culture."

And that culture shift, Stewart said, isn't just about the players.

"In a small town like Calipat, kids are easy to get out. There's no distractions, they want to be there," he said. "The challenge is changing the culture of the administration, of parents, of teachers...helping them understand what it takes to build a championship-level program. That's probably been the most daunting task for me."

On the field, the Hornets will rely heavily on the run game again. Stewart runs the Pistol Wing-T, an offense built on physicality and control.

"We're gonna be a grind-it-out, three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust team," he said. "Our O-line top to bottom is better than last year. We've got eight or nine guys who won't need to play both ways, and they're big, strong, and hard-working."

Stewart said the team took second at a summer lineman competition, barely losing the tug-of-war to Central by "centimeters."

Depth at running back is also improved.

"We've got four or five backs. Our three main guys this year are better than last year's three. Top to bottom, there’s more talent," Stewart shared.

The biggest challenge? The passing game.

"Our run defense is still going to be dominant. But we've got a sophomore quarterback and our pass game offense is still coming along," Stewart admitted. "We'll bring him along slowly. But I'm excited, my son's moving out from Nashville to help coach. He's a quarterback whisperer. He's coached with me before when we won all those championships in Pennsylvania. He'll help develop our QB the right way."

For Stewart, who has coached across the country including stints in California and Pennsylvania Calipatria feels like home.

"When I left the Marine Corps, I started coaching at McFarland—just like the Disney movie. I had 13 players when I got there," he said. "McFarland and Calipat are identical twins. That's what drew me here."

And he has nothing but praise for the kids he now leads.

"These Calipat kids are just so respectful and hardworking. You tell them to be at practice at 5 a.m., and they’re there. You tell them to get their homework done, they do it. There’s no selfishness here. They just want to be part of something special," he expressed.

As for how he keeps his team grounded after winning it all last year?

"My message has always been: compete with the man in the mirror. Don't compare yourself to last year's team, to your older brother, to anybody. Just be better today than you were yesterday," he said. "We don't worry about opponents. We worry about us. That's all we can control."

With a new season ahead, a deeper roster, and a clear vision, Rick Stewart and the Hornets aren't backing down from expectations. In fact, they're embracing them.