The last time the Orestimba High flag football team was on the field, it was in the semifinals of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II postseason where they lost to Hilmar High, 25-19, on their home field, Warrior Stadium. The loss not only ended a program-best season, but marked back-to-back postseason runs that ended in the semifinals.
While Hilmar was celebrating on the field, some of the Warriors players were emotional, considering how many opportunities that the team failed to capitalize on. The loss stung even more as the Yellowjackets went to win the postseason and brought home the coveted blue Sac-Joaquin Section championship banner.
More than 280 days removed from their recent game, the Warriors are now more motivated than ever to continue its success in pursuit of a championship banner, said head coach John Labno.
“They were upset that they were not able to win that game, and they want to take another shot at being able to get to that section championship game,” Labno said. “It’s been two years in a row that we’ve been stopped at the same place.”
Orestimba opens its 2026 campaign by hosting Kimball High on Wednesday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. Kimball, who finished 24-3 overall last year, are looking to start off its season on high note after previously losing in the first round of last season’s Sac-Joaquin Section Division II postseason.
The Jaguars are not the only formidable opponent on the Warriors’ schedule as the team will host Merced High on Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. Merced is entering as the defending Sac-Joaquin Section Division II postseason champions. The team also handed Orestimba one of its three losses last season.
While some teams may not want tougher opponents to help their record, Labno said the program prides itself on playing against top competition as it could help determine how good is his team.
“We want to be able to play the toughest teams we can find early on because we’re going to figure out the holes or the problems we might have before we get to league [play],” he said. “We don’t want to play a weak preseason schedule because it might make us look good and, you know, run up the scores and, you know, do great, but once we get in the league, it’s going to get tough, and then we might not be prepared for that.”
As Orestimba prepares for another season, the team will have to lean on its veteran players more than ever as 11
players graduated in May. Some of the graduates include Mariah Moreno, Marian Quevedo and Hailey Starr. Moreno and Quevedo rushed for a combined 1,970 yards and 27 touchdowns, while Starr threw for 3,414 yards and 49 TDs.
However, the program will have two significant contributors back on the gridiron in junior quarterback Salece Machado and senior athlete Imelda Beltran.
As the second option playmaker, Machado threw for 1,242 yards in the air and 25 TDs. She also played off ball as a route where she caught 80 passes for 820 yards and 12 TDs.
Beltran, on the other hand, will enter this year looking to sustain last season’s quality of level. The senior athlete is coming off a season where she recorded 1,814 receiving yards and 29 TDs. Her level of play transitioned well as a great defender where Imelda recorded 23 interceptions. This led to her earning a second team spot on the MaxPreps All-Section Flag Football team honors.
The two will look to be team leaders of a roster of 45 players, with some being freshman and others coming from junior varsity.
With several fresh faces coming in, one player Labno expects to contribute immediately is junior Karina Gonzalez. Gonzalez transitioned from junior varsity to varsity late season where she played in all three of Orestimba playoff games. While it did not show in the stat sheet, Gonzalez’s impact was shown on the field to the point that she was starting on defense, Labno said.
“Having her for the whole year, I think, is going to make a big difference,” he said.
As he begins another season at the helm, Labno said he expects to have an offense that can move the ball down the field.
