GUSTINE – In less than two months, the Gustine High School football team will host its first game of the season against its rivals north on Highway 33.
But first, the Reds are putting in the hard work to prepare for the opener and season.
Gustine head coach Collin Lane notes players, returning and newcomers, have “had a very productive offseason so far.”
In May, Gustine, which went 2-9 overall and 0-6 in the Southern Athletic League in 2025, took part at the Hume Lake Sports Camp in Hume for 7-on-7 games.
“The camp gave us valuable opportunities to compete in 7-on-7 games and other team competitions,” Lane said. “More importantly, it allowed our players to spend time together and continue building our team culture. We came away very encouraged by the competitive spirit our players showed throughout the camp.”
Lane and his coaching staff have “seen tremendous growth in our leadership and team chemistry. Our players have really embraced holding one another accountable and creating a positive, competitive environment every day.”
The summer workouts in the weight room are also off to a great start, Lane stated.
“We’ve had approximately 90% attendance during the first two weeks of summer ball, which says a lot about our players’ commitment,” Lane said.
The Reds have been practicing Monday through Thursday at 6 a.m. This allows the players to avoid the summer heat and enjoy the rest of their day, Lane noted.
“Our focus has been on strength training, conditioning and installing our offensive and defensive schemes,” Lane said. “Over the past month, we’ve seen significant improvements in our players’ conditioning, football IQ and overall execution.
While we still have plenty of work to do before the season begins, we’re excited about the progress this group has made and look forward to building on it throughout the remainder of the summer.”
Gustine, and all high school football programs in the Sac-Joaquin Section, can conduct summer workouts through Tuesday.
Starting on Wednesday through Sunday, July 14, all fall, winter and spring sports programs preparing for the 2026-27 season will observe the section’s bylaw dead period. Coaches are prohibited from communicating with their student athletes, along with conducting any type of workout.
High school football programs can conduct voluntary workouts beginning July 15.
On Monday, Aug. 3, all football programs can officially begin practices.
Gustine will open its season against Orestimba in the annual Battle for the Chief on the Reds’ field on Friday, Aug. 28.
Mike Bush is a multimedia journalist who was born and raised in the Stanislaus and Merced County areas. Follow him on X/Twitter @MikeBMultimedia and Instagram @mikebushmedia.
