Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – The Corsairs will play their first game since last year’s Grizzly Bowl when they open the 2024 season at Merced this weekend.

By Ray Hamill — The Corsairs are building momentum as a program.

In the two years since College of the Redwoods reinstated the football team, the Corsairs have posted back-to-back wining seasons and established themselves as a competitive program.

They open the new season on Saturday afternoon when they travel to play Merced College and they go into the new campaign with high expectations, including ambitions of a conference championship and a third straight bowl game appearance.

“We’ve made a ton of progress in camp,” said head coach Jason White, who has a roster of 92 players on hand this preseason. “And we’re at a point now where we’ve got a good mix of sophomores and freshmen.”

One of the deepest areas of the this year’s team is the receiving corps, with two outstanding starters back and the return of playmaking tight end.

Anthony Aguirre is back for his second season with the team after receiving an all-conference selection a year ago, while 2022 all-region selection Jaydan Burns returns to the team after missing most of the 2023 season through injury.

And that should give starting quarter Bryton Livingston two big-time playmakers on either side of the field after beating out five other newcomers for the starting job.

“Jaydan Burns, he’s 100 percent this year,” White said of the standout from Ukiah. “Every day, every play that kid works his ass off.” 

Another player who missed all of last year through injury is Del Norte’s Kaleb Price, who was the Corsairs’ most dangerous weapon on offense two years ago and will be expected to have another big impact this fall.

The receiving corps will also benefit from having freshmen Glen “Phat” Williams, Treyvon Silva and Paxton Page, the latter of whom moves to receiver after red-shirting as a quarterback a year ago.

The Corsairs received their bowl winning rings at a ceremony earlier this year.

Another player expected to have an impact at tight end is Clear Lake’s Cody Hayes, while Isaia Hemmings should see a lot of time at running back as the Corsairs look to replace a talented group of contributors in the offensive backfield.

The Del Norte contingent of players on the team also includes Conner Long, who graduated from the Crescent City school in 2020 and will play on the defensive line.

“He’s an exciting player to have,” White said of Long, who returns to the North Coast after some time at Sierra College.

Alongside him, sophomore Moe Leiataua will also be expected to have an impact on the defensive line and is described by his head coach as an “explosive” player.

At linebacker, sophomore Logan Malinowski is back for his second season with the team and will start alongside newcomer Christian Solomona.

The latter is a freshman from Bothell in Washington and could be one of the players to watch on this year’s team after a very impressive preseason.

“He’s explosive and fast,” said White, who added that Solomona has been close to “unblockable” at practice. 

The CR secondary has a lot of holes to fill from last year’s team, with players like Ronin Kimbrough, Victory Orikannu Simon and Jimmy Fomby all expected to step up, the latter of whom is in his third year with the team and should see substantial action this fall.

On special teams, kicker Ryan Thomas is also back and expected to play a key role this year.

“He’s got a strong leg and he’s very accurate,” White said of the Alaska native who is already attracting plenty of attention from four-year programs. “He’s the real deal.”

After Saturday’s season opener, the Corsairs will return home to host Hartnell, the team they routed 63-0 in last year’s Grizzly Bowl, in their home opener at the Redwood Bowl on Sept. 14.