2026 Prep Football Summer Series: Calexico Bulldogs

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - With a large senior class graduating, the 2026 season marks the beginning of a new era for the Calexico Bulldogs football program.

Bulldogs coach Fernando Solano said replacing the production and leadership of last year's group will be one of the team's biggest challenges, but he has already seen younger players step into larger roles during the offseason.

"We lost about 25 seniors this year, so it's going to be really hard to replace that leadership," Solano said. "But we have a few guys who are coming in and being really vocal, especially guys who have been through the program for a couple years."

Calexico faces another demanding schedule in league play after competing against a group in which every team reached the postseason last year.

While the Bulldogs are one of the bigger schools in the league, they do not have a feeder program.

Solano said those factors cannot become excuses.

Instead, he wants his team to focus on fundamentals, particularly protecting the football.

"Games are won and lost by turnovers," Solano said. "One of the things we try to emphasize every Friday is taking care of the football."

One of the biggest offseason changes comes at quarterback.

Senior Dominik Flores, who previously played defensive back, is making the transition to lead the offense. Solano believes Flores' athleticism and football IQ make him the right fit to expand the Bulldogs' offensive attack.

"We've been very conservative with our play-calling the last couple years because we were trying to protect our quarterback," Solano said. "This year we said, 'Let's find one of our best athletes and make him into a quarterback.'"

The move is designed to give Calexico more versatility after relying on a conservative offensive approach in recent seasons.

As preseason practices continue, Solano said the team's development remains the primary focus. Despite the inexperience, he has been encouraged by the attitude displayed throughout the offseason.

"The key word has been developing," Solano said. "We have a whole new group of kids coming in with a great attitude. They're on time, they're working out, they're sacrificing a lot to get better. That's one thing you can't control, effort and attitude, and I'm really impressed by that."

Calexico hopes that mindset will help the Bulldogs build a new foundation as they prepare for the 2026 high school football season.