Prep Football team previews: Brawley Wildcats
The Wildcats enter the 2025 campaign with a new coach, a boatload of new players and many new expectations.
BRAWLEY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - When you look on the field at Brawley's practice, the common theme is the word new.
A new coach on the sideline.
New faces taking the field donning the block letter 'B' on the side of their helmets.
But one standard has remained the same: the standard of winning at Brawley Union High School.
"Brawley's had a great history of playing great football," said new Head Coach Bert Esposito. "You just kind of hope that you can still continue that."
Brawley has seen their fair amount of success on the gridiron in recent years, but none as prolific as last season.
A 9-2 overall record, going undefeated in the Imperial Valley League and a 54-0 thumping of their arch rival Central Union High School to name some of their successes last year.
Even with all that success, Junior quarterback Noah Castro understands the Wildcats can't be complacent.
"We just wanna take each game one by one, you know, give it our all every game and give it 100%," Castro said.
Conveniently for Brawley, Esposito brings in tons of experience and his own pedigree of winning to the Valley. The New York native has two CIF Titles to his name, but knows that Imperial Valley brings a new challenge.
"I've been coaching 42 years in high school sports, all different types of sports, but mostly football. I've been a head coach now for 32 years of those 42," Esposito said.
Castro and other captains are now leading the charge of a program that lost over 30 seniors from last year's team.
"It's been different, you know, I have to be more of a leader, more vocal, control the offense," Castro said.
With all that turnover, the Wildcats are looking forward to some new faces making a name for themselves as the season progresses.
Brawley is known as being one of the top programs in the Valley, and the team knows no matter how many new players are on the field on Friday nights, their entire community is behind them.
Brawley's home opener is this Friday against Rancho Bernardo, and the new kids on the block will have to step up big in front of their community.
