Imperial Valley football club defying odds, aims for championship

News 11 Special Report: From the Ground Up

IMPERIAL VALLEY, Ca. (KYMA, KECY) - Enrique Ruiz begins his day bright and early, sometimes grinding a 12-hour day before he returns to his home in Calexico.

On Fridays, his day even extends into the late night hours to do something he truly has a passion for: the game of football.

After getting home, Ruiz treats himself to a quick dinner before sitting at his computer to print off play sheets and a practice plan for the night. And then it's off to practice at a local park down the street.

When sitting down with him on one Friday night, he said "I probably won't go to bed until 2 or 3 A.M. tonight."

After spending several years coaching in a collegiate football league in Mexico, it was time for Ruiz to move on and dedicate his time to something else in the community he lives in.

That's where he came up with the Imperial Valley Centinelas.

The Centinelas being an independent football club that would compete in the Baja California Football Organization (OFABC), playing competitively against seven to sometimes 10 other team from Mexico.

In 2020 Ruiz' search began for Imperial Valley athletes looking to extend their playing days out of high school - the Centinelas acting as a home for kids and coaches who don't have a spot on a college roster.

“The Imperial Valley Centinelas was created to give kids across the valley the opportunity to continue to play football," said Ruiz. "A lot of kids don’t have the chance to play college football, let alone NCAA Division One, Two or Three and yet there is still a lot of talent here.”

Early on, the search was unsuccessful. But by 2021, Ruiz was able to field a team of 18 players which dwindled down to just 12 by the last game of the year- in which they still managed to sneak into the playoffs.

Still, Ruiz has struggled to get the word out in a lack of coverage and appreciation for what he had built.

"I'm doing everything I can to get these guys the recognition they deserve," Ruiz added. "It kind of demoralizes me, but we keep going."

Ruiz has yet to let off the gas pedal and continues to build morale and a purpose for his players - a group that has leaped in size to about 26 players as of this summer.

“I know when I was done playing, I was lost and didn’t know what to do, so I want to believe this facilitates the process of getting out of college and maintaining some consistency after playing football for eight to 10 years," said Ruiz. "It’s the chance to play together. My biggest preach or motto is one valley, one team. Ever since I’ve been saying that, guys really buy into that."

One of those guys that bought in early in year one is Daniel Bejarano from Holtville.

"What’s special about this group of guys is everyone from the valley comes and joins to be one team now. So now there’s people from Imperial, Brawley Calexico, El Centro," Bejarano said. "It’s almost like an All-Star team where we can play together.”

And while the team is still trying to work for recognition and find their identity, it doesn't stop them from one common goal: to win a championship.

Something that would mean a lot to everyone involved since it may be the last chance to get to win any sort of title.

“I expect every year the mentality should be championship, championship, championship," said Bejarano. "And I hope every year we can meet that expectation.”

“One of their biggest drives of them being here is playing together and representing the valley as one," added Ruiz. "The other one is they want a championship too.”

And yet, the drive to win a title is not what it's all about. In fact, it means so much more especially for Ruiz.

“The chance to mentor these kids is big for me, not just about football but life," said Ruiz. "I really preach about work ethic, accountability, respecting their parents, listening to their parents. You know doing a good job outside of football and preparing them for whatever they do with their lives."

One valley, one team. That's the motto. A family on and off the field, built from the ground up.

“This is my family outside of my family. I’ve been doing this for so long, I can’t imagine my life without it," said Ruiz. "For those of you that can’t coach high school football because of work or personal reasons, you have a home here. If you can’t play JUCO ball, you have a home here because we’re here for you.”