When Oscar Rodriguez signed on as Southwestern College’s new head football coach, his first agenda item was recruiting. His second agenda item was more of the same.
That was in February. Fast forward to Saturday’s season opener at DeVore Stadium and the Jaguars have the makings of a rebuilding team in earnest. That will happen when a team goes 1-9 in successive years and has just five wins to its credit over the past three seasons.
Rodriguez has assembled a roster chock full of local South County and East County and, for that matter, North County prep alumni along with out-of-area (and out-of-state) players.
In this case, rebuild it and they will come.
There’s no question the Jags have undergone a major upgrade in talent. While the increase in numbers and depth did not add up to win over the visiting El Camino College Warriors — the hosts fell 29-10 — Rodriguez should expect much better odds than finishing with just one win this season.
El Camino looked like a much more seasoned team while Southwestern had the home fans on its side. The Jags made some big plays to a loud chorus of cheers, but the Warriors made many more big plays to walk off the field with the victory.
Southwestern quarterbacks were intercepted five times while El Camino defenders logged seven tackles for losses.
The Jags remain a work in progress — and exciting one at that — and more will be known about the rebuild during upcoming games.
El Camino led 13-3 at halftime after recording two field goals and a touchdown in the first half. The Warriors out-scored Southwestern 16-7 in the second half to cement the non-conference victory.
An interception of SWC freshman starter Connor Underhill (Rancho Buena Vista) set up the game’s opening score. With the ball near the goal line, the Jaguars defense stiffened to force a 20-yard field goal by sophomore Cooper Dileva to open scoring in the game.
The Warriors looked to make it a quick 9-0 lead on a long interception return for a touchdown. But a penalty nullified the play. However. El Camino was back in the end zone on a three-yard run by sophomore Zamir Hall (13 carries, 51 yards) not long afterwards for a 10-0 lead.
Freshman kicker Jacob Cuevasibarra (San Diego) put the hosts on the scoreboard with a 26-yard field goal in the second quarter. The Warriors offset that with a three-pointer of their own by Dileva from 30 yards out.
Freshman quarterback Hunter Maxwell (Desert Ridge) connected with freshman receiver Aerek Brown (Montgomery) for the Jags’ first touchdown of the year in the third quarter as SWC narrowed the score to 23-10. El Camino tacked on six points in the final quarter on a one-yard run by sophomore Azeon Nelson (63 rushing yards on seven carries) to round out scoring in the game.
The hosts were out-rushed 245-117 but had the upper hand in passing yards 172-106.
Game leaders for SWC included Maxwell (87 passing yards), Sweetwater alumnus Xavier Crews (53 rushing yards) and Mater Dei Catholic alumnus Josiah Jefferson (33 receiving yards).
Sophomore quarterback Aidan Semo (53 passing yards) scored on a three-yard run to make the score 23-3 El Camino.
Underhill (85 passing yards) was intercepted three times and Maxwell twice.
Sophomore Jaheem Williams (Montgomery) had five carries for 28 yards.
Freshman Peyton Kinman (Graham, Texas) had three catches for 32 yards while freshman Savigon Yokley (El Capitan) had three catches for 26 yards. Freshman receiver Noah Carey (Carlsbad) had one catch for 22 yards.
Defensively, freshman linebacker Jeremiah Jones (Kennesaw, Ga.) keyed the Jags with 10 tackles while freshman linebacker Chris Fewell (Lincoln) had nine stops. Sophomore safety Payton Spratt (Poway) logged eight tackles.
Rodriguez, who served as an interim head coach at Akron University in 2021 and was on staff the past two season at the University of Kansas, becomes the 12th head coach in SWC program history.
“Oscar’s vision for the future of the program is convincingly bold,” Southwestern College athletic director Ron Valenzuela said. “Jaguar football needs a jolt, and Oscar’s proven ability to coach and develop young men, talent to evaluate and drive to relentlessly recruit are some of his greatest strengths. Oscar is a coach for today’s student athletes. He has the ability to connect and build authentic relationships with players and the determination to create a winning culture where young men can thrive academically and athletically.”
“It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to become a head coach,” said Rodriguez, a two-time cancer survivor who is active in the community as the founder of the Coaches Against Cancer Foundation. “There have been three things I look for in any head coach opportunity: investment in resources and facilities, alignment with the administration and rich area for great local talent. SWC has checked all those boxes and I feel that God has brought me to the South Bay to impact/develop young men and win games in the process. California is home to my family as my wife is a SoCal native, so this opportunity is about Faith, Family and Football for us.”
