2026 Prep Football Summer Series: Vincent Memorial Scots

Youthful Vincent Memorial embracing new opportunities ahead of 2026 football season

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) — Experience may be limited, but optimism is not for Vincent Memorial football.

Head coach Fernando Santana enters the 2026 season with one of the youngest rosters in recent years. Despite the lack of seniors on the roster, Santana believes the Scots have the talent to compete after an encouraging offseason.

"We're kind of small in size, but it's been good," Santana said. "We're looking forward. We're confident that this year our talent is going to be very good."

Vincent Memorial stayed busy throughout the summer, competing in multiple 7-on-7 tournaments, including events at San Diego State, Yuma Catholic, Brawley and Central. Santana said the additional competition has given his young roster valuable experience against a variety of opponents.

Several junior varsity standouts have already begun making an impact as they transition to the varsity level.

Wide receiver Alvaro Apodaca has impressed with his speed, while quarterback Juan Mendoza has emerged as a promising option to replace last year's graduating starters.

"We have Alvaro Apodaca, a receiver, very fast coming in from JV," Santana said. "We have our quarterback, Juan Mendoza. He's from JV also, but he's really throwing the ball very well. If those kids mature like we're hoping they will, we're going to be good."

Replacing offensive production will be one of the team's biggest challenges after the departures of key contributors such as Ricardo Vizcarra and Patricio Carranza. Santana believes the next group is capable of stepping into larger roles.

The Scots will also face a refreshed nonleague schedule this fall. After previous contracts with several San Diego-area schools expired, Vincent Memorial opted to schedule new opponents in an effort to expose players to different styles of football.

"We wanted to explore new teams and new ideas," Santana said. "I think that's good for our program. We want to go out of the valley to play different teams, different structures and different systems so we can develop our players."

Last season, Vincent Memorial narrowly missed the playoffs, an experience Santana hopes will motivate his returning players.

He believes the lessons learned from that disappointment can help the Scots take the next step in 2026.

"I think they learned from that experience," Santana said. "Life is full of experiences, but if you can learn from those experiences, then you can mature. That's what we're telling our kids. They lived it, they didn't like it, but now let's keep the ball moving in the right direction, enjoy the game and win games."

With a young core gaining experience and a new group of playmakers stepping into larger roles, Vincent Memorial hopes its offseason development will translate into a return to postseason contention this fall.