2026 Prep Football Team Previews: Palo Verde Yellow Jackets

BLYTHE, Calif. (KYMA) - The Palo Verde Yellow Jackets are entering the 2026 football season looking to build on a deep playoff run while navigating a new chapter for the program.

Palo Verde went 8-5 last season, won the Desert League title and advanced to the CIF-SDS Division 5-AA championship game. Now, the Yellow Jackets are moving forward following the passing of longtime head coach Wally Grant.

Assistant coach Scott Richards is leading the program and says the foundation Grant established remains firmly in place.

“I’ve been with Coach Grant since he came to Palo Verde. And he did a great job of teaching us his system,” Richards said. “We have a good foundation of what we want.”

That foundation helped turn Palo Verde into a championship contender last season, and the players aren't forgetting how close they came.

Senior lineman Antonio Barron says falling short in the championship game has become motivation heading into the new season.

“We turned around from a team that was not known at all, to a team that’s earned its place on the map,” Barron said. “We fell just short. So now we know what glory almost tastes like. So basically, it’s going to be our motivation to keep trying.”

The Yellow Jackets return a strong group of senior leaders, including Christian Richards, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season.

For Richards, one of the biggest lessons Grant left with the program was the importance of discipline both on and off the field.

“He has really inspired all of us to do better,” Christian Richards said. “Not just only in football, but as in life too.”

That leadership will be especially important as Palo Verde moves forward without Grant on the sidelines.

Senior leaders like Barron and Richards will help set the tone, while seniors Devin “Skipper” Rangel and junior quarterback Jaeden Loureiro are among those expected to take on bigger roles.

The goal remains the same: get back to the championship stage and finish the job.

“We’re ready to make another run,” Rangel said. “We’re ready to get back out on that field and keep working and grinding to another championship.”

For Palo Verde, the 2026 season is about more than wins and losses. It's an opportunity to continue the culture Grant built and carry his legacy into another championship pursuit.