Starting blocks: Behind the scenes with a South Bay high school playing varsity football for first time

SAN JOSE — In the shadows of the massive Cisco Systems complex in north San Jose, a fledgling Bay Area high school football program is taking flight.

MacDonald High School, established in 2022, is fielding a varsity football team for the first time this season. The Bay Area News Group spent several days behind the scenes with the Condors as they prepared for the first game of their inaugural varsity season against Santa Clara High.

Much like their mascot, the endangered largest wild bird in North America, the Condors are rising from precarious origins as they attempt to multiply. MacDonald features no seniors and has pulled up a number of sophomores to help out on the varsity squad. Even some freshmen are getting into the game.

What does it take to build a varsity football program from scratch? Here’s an inside look, starting from the early days of training camp in August.

Pads go on

The cupboard wasn’t entirely bare for the Condors. After all, they returned every player from a team that went 10-0 in junior varsity competition in 2023.

But one of these things is not like the other. Varsity competition demands a massive step up, one that won’t be easily scaled by a team whose oldest players are juniors matching up against seasoned and stronger seniors.

“We’re definitely going to be the underdogs this season,” said MacDonald coach Burt Codera. “That’s going to be a theme. We’re going to be obviously inexperienced. We’re going to be young. We’re going to be a little bit on the smaller size, but I do have some talented kids who can really play the game.

“Having worked with varsity staff for the last two and a half years has benefited them a lot. So their IQ has definitely grown a lot faster than had we not had them for three years. So I expect us to be competitive, but there’s definitely going to be some struggles.”

Codera came over to lead MacDonald after three years at Santa Clara High, where he coached the Bruins from 2018-2020. He was recruited to MacDonald by athletic director Darrin Garcia, with whom he had worked at Santa Clara.

“I’m trying not to focus so much on the end result, winning or losing, versus just getting them to focus on the process and getting better every single day,” Codera said

That additive process began on Aug. 5 during the Condors’ first practice. It continued on Aug. 12, when MacDonald put on pads for the first time as a varsity program.

After fitting all the varsity players with their equipment, MacDonald took the field. It was a warm, sun-splashed day and spirits were high.

They needed to be. The Condors didn’t have enough players to run an 11-on-11 scrimmage, so many had to play offense and defense. Some players had not yet met CIF rules to participate in full pads.

Going back to the founding of the school in 2022, only two of MacDonald’s players had ever played football before Codera and his staff started coaching the team.

Nevertheless, the Condors soldiered on through a draining two-hour practice. And when they were finished, Codera had a message for them with school starting the next day.

“We want to set a good example for the entire school,” Codera said. “We want to represent MacDonald football. We are stand-up citizens and doing the right things. We’re not only great athletes, we’re also great students.”

He noted that he’d do his best to ensure they had more players coming out to practice the following day.

“I’ll do my job tomorrow, too,” Codera said.

Talking chalk

Eight days later, on Aug. 20, the Condors started practice with a chalk talk, where they went over offensive plays for the following week’s game against Santa Clara.

Offensive coordinator Tony Santos took to the whiteboard and ran through MacDonald’s goal-line package, highlighting the key run and pass plays the Condors would rely on to score near the end zone.

He emphasized the urgency of the coming 10 days.

“We still have time, but time is running out,” Santos said.

Santos noted that MacDonald wouldn’t be putting in any new plays – the emphasis would be on ensuring the Condors could run their existing packages effectively. Or, at least, as well as possible.

Three days later, that would be put to the test.

Proof of concept

On Aug. 23, it was time for MacDonald to face another team for the first time in a varsity scrimmage.

The Condors loaded up a yellow school bus and traveled south to Silver Creek High School, where they’d face Silver Creek and Mt. Pleasant in a three-team jamboree.

Ahead of the trip, Codera reminded his players to focus on what they were about to do. Silence permeated the bus until arrival.

Once at Silver Creek, MacDonald warmed up and took the field. There was a stark size differential between the Condors and their senior-laden opponents.

MacDonald’s offense started out against Silver Creek’s defense. The Raiders, who finished second in the Blossom Valley Athletic League’s Santa Teresa-Foothill Division last season, overwhelmed the Condors with size and speed. There were fumbled snaps, missed blocking assignments and errant passes.

But eventually, MacDonald started to settle in. Near the end of the scrimmage period, the Condors connected on a deep pass by junior quarterback Moussa Fall and nearly punched in a touchdown.

Those small breakthrough moments continued when MacDonald’s defense lined up against Mt. Pleasant. The Condors penetrated into the backfield and registered multiple tackles for loss.

MacDonald’s offense, meanwhile, found a new gear against Mt. Pleasant. The Condors scored multiple short-field TDs and started to gain confidence.

“When we go out there, we’re going to deal with adversity,” Fall said. “But it’s nothing we can’t handle. The benefit of being only a junior and sophomore team is that level of experience that you get. Because if I feel like when we’re seniors, the class of 2026, I think that’s going to be our strongest year yet.”

On the bus ride back, the atmosphere was one of relaxation – and relief. This time, players were allowed to chat with each other, and they took full advantage by dissecting the details of the still-fresh scrimmage. Codera joined in the discussion with various members of the team.

It wasn’t strictly business, though. Junior tight end/defensive end Yaqub Arale took some time to quiz Codera’s 5-year-old son, Koa, on the names of MacDonald’s players. He then transitioned to teaching Koa about more academic pursuits, like the elements.

MacDonald football is a true family affair for Codera. His brother Gabe coaches the Condors’ defensive backs and wide receivers. His wife, Brittney, is one of MacDonald’s athletic directors.

And on this Friday night, Koa – up well past his bedtime – got a unique form of education. He had a front-row seat to a team of players still learning what it took to play varsity football.

Needle and thread

On Aug. 27, the hour had arrived for the Condors to reveal their varsity game jerseys for the first time. Selected MacDonald players were allowed into the locker room first to suit up.

Minutes later, it was time for the fashion show. John Leonard, Siaosi Hautau, Aaron Xu, Boston Olivarez and Darey Villmar strutted out to a captive audience of boisterous teammates.

They were impressed. The enthusiasm ratcheted up a level when the entire team made its way inside and tried on their own uniforms.

“I’m the man,” said two-way lineman Kasen La Follette.

“We did, bruh,” exclaimed two-way lineman John Fifita. “We finally did it.”

Another program first was in the books. There was just one more to go.

It was almost game time.

Flipping the switch

On Aug. 30, the true test had arrived for the Condors with Santa Clara pulling into MacDonald High School. No longer would platitudes and hopeful words suffice – toe was meeting leather, and it was time to kick off MacDonald’s first-ever varsity season.

MacDonald knew going in that contending with the Bruins would be challenging. But it would take only one play to prove just how difficult things could be.

With the Condors set to receive the opening kickoff, Santa Clara kicker Russell Moore booted a short kick near the MacDonald 30-yard line. In a moment that encapsulated the Condors’ inexperience, no MacDonald player fielded the ball.

Instead, Santa Clara recovered the kick, then marched down the field in five plays to go up 6-0.

With Santa Clara up 19-0 in the second quarter, things threatened to get out of hand. One play after junior receiver Ethan Bugarin made a contested catch to set up MacDonald inside Bruins territory, Condors quarterback Moussa Fall scrambled out of bounds near the Santa Clara 45-yard line.

Some pushing and shoving ensued on the Santa Clara sideline after a late tackle attempt, and penalty flags flew high into the air. MacDonald’s coaches implored their players to stay on the sideline during the fracas. But one player ran onto the field and was disqualified.

Condors defensive coordinator Fred Stewart took the opportunity in the interim to huddle MacDonald’s remaining players up and deliver a succinct message.

“There is a right way and a wrong way to lose a football game,” Stewart said. “This is the wrong way.”

Game officials met with both coaches at the half with MacDonald down 26-0. Before Codera returned to MacDonald’s locker room, Stewart spoke in front of the Condors in the halftime locker room.

“It hurts,” Stewart said. “It hurts because it’s the first time we’ve ever felt something like this. But guess what? This is varsity football. We have a choice. We can put our heads down and lose total control and then get more of us kicked out. Or we can lift our heads up high, finish this game off the best we can as a group, and we learn from this and we get better.”

When he finished, Codera arrived and chimed in with a message of his own.

“We knew this was going to be an uphill battle,” he said. “Look at your man to the left and the right and fight for them for four quarters. We’re only done with two.”

Santos had the final word from the coaching staff.

“It’s how you handle the adversity that truly makes the composure of the team,” he said. “When you’re winning, everything’s great. When you’re on the zero side, you lose your composure. It’s all part of the learning experience. It’s all part of growing up. And life’s going to take punches at you, trust me.

“There’s 21 of us now. We’re going to go out there like a team. Win, lose, whatever the case may be, but we’re all in this together. This is our team, and we’re going to fight till there’s zeros on the scoreboard. And then on Monday, we’re going to come back to the drawing board.”

Several MacDonald players were distraught in the locker room. Some were injured, and in the second half, that number grew. But after they returned to the field, the Condors finished the 40-0 loss without any more extracurriculars, and they walked away from their first varsity game united.

“It was a real emotional night,” said junior running back/linebacker John Leonard. “A lot of adversity that we’re not used to, because we’re coming off blowing teams out in JV. This isn’t JV anymore. So that definitely woke us up.”

In his speech to the team after the game, Codera told his players, “We’re going to get better every single week. I promise you guys, we will get better.”