Prep Football Team Previews: Cibola Raiders

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - The Cibola Raiders are looking to end a long playoff drought.

Cibola's last postseason appearance came in 2017. Now entering his third season as head coach Caleb Gillispie is hoping to take another step forward with the program.

The Raiders finished 6-3 last season, their best record since 2021. Despite the solid campaign, Cibola was among the first teams left out when the playoff field was announced.

This season, the challenge is even greater.

The Raiders lost 25 seniors to graduation, with most of them having been starters on either offense or defense. Gillispie said the coaching staff will be crucial as the program works to develop a largely new roster.

"It's a big challenge coming in," Gillispie said. "I think one of the things that makes us very well suited for that is the coaching staff. I've said it in previous interviews, but I can't harp enough. We got such a great coaching staff, committed guys, a lot of guys here from Yuma, giving back to the school that they've been to."

With so many new players stepping into larger roles, Gillispie is emphasizing the importance of maintaining a positive mindset and learning from mistakes.

"A lot of it is getting these guys in and really getting a good mindset of understanding that they're going to make mistakes, especially early on in the season," Gillispie said. "So getting them comfortable, just being uncomfortable, putting them in spots that they're going to see in game and understanding that they're going to fail at times. And being able to see how they react to that."

One of those young players expected to take on a major role is sophomore quarterback Jordan Gonzalez.

Gonzalez is making the jump from freshman football to the varsity level and has impressed Gillispie with both his physical abilities and his growing understanding of the offense.

"I'm just beyond impressed at not only the physical game," Gillispie said. "I mean, he can throw it great. He's understanding. But really just starting to dive into the playbook, understanding all the tendencies. And not only that, but being a leader. So that’s something I’m looking forward to this year."

Gonzalez said the transition has already helped him grow as a player.

"The adjustment has been good," Gonzalez said. "I've been learning, from frosh to varsity. I've been learning a whole bunch of things about footwork and stuff like that. And on Fridays, I expect a little more of a challenge when it comes to players and just better competition."

Cibola will face the same schedule it did last season, with the only change being a switch of home fields.

The Raiders' three losses last season all came against teams that reached the playoffs, giving senior running back and linebacker Bryan Romero confidence that Cibola can take the next step.

Romero said dedication and perseverance will be key to keeping the team in games and ultimately making a playoff push.

"What we got to do to get into these playoffs is mostly dedication and not giving up and not putting our heads down," Romero said. "Once you start putting your heads down, you got to pick them up and got to keep going. So that last quarter, that last minute, that last second."

With a young roster, Cibola is also focused on building something that can last beyond this season.

For Gillispie, that means establishing a culture centered on grit, adaptability and leaving a lasting legacy at Cibola.

"Yeah, I think a lot of it we talk about is grit," Gillispie said. "Being able to just stay determined and really battle through anything. We talked earlier about, you know, whether it be the conditions on the field, whether it's losing 25 guys, seniors graduating, really being adaptable."

Gillispie also pointed to the connection between the school and the Yuma community as an important part of continuing Cibola’s tradition.

"I'm not from Yuma, so being able to come here to a program like Cibola that has had a lot of tradition, on campus, we have a lot of teachers that went to high school here and graduated from here," Gillispie said. "Being able to continue to build that legacy out. And I think one of the exciting things is the amount of young guys we have this year, being able to really see how they can do that and leave a legacy over the next couple of years."