Del Oro has championship hopes heading into season

Del Oro enters the 2026 season with a veteran group, plenty of offensive weapons and high expectations in the Sierra Foothill League. The Golden Eagles are aiming for a run at the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II championship and have their sights set even higher. "We're trying to reach the state championship," senior tight end Landen Parry said. Before Del Oro gets into league play, coach Josh Parry wants his team to establish more consistency. That was one of the lessons from a preseason scrimmage against Grant, which gave the Golden Eagles an early test against one of the section's more successful programs. "That's why you schedule that," Josh Parry said. "That's what we need to be practicing against." The Golden Eagles have plenty of experience returning, including at tight end, where Landen Parry and Darius Dismukes give the offense two versatile options. "They allow us to do a lot of things," Josh Parry said. "They allow us to spread them out, come in the box, get powerful. They give us a lot of flexibility." Dismukes is taking on a larger role after learning from several talented tight ends who came through the Del Oro program. He has already committed to Eastern Washington despite limited varsity experience. "The effort and the work required to make it to the next level," Dismukes said of what he has learned from those players. "But we got to take that up a notch." Another significant addition to the offense is senior quarterback Luke Taber, who transferred from Oak Ridge. Taber brings athleticism, a strong arm and experience to the position, according to Josh Parry. He will be ineligible for the first five games, however, meaning Grayson Haugen will start at quarterback to begin the season. Taber said the transition to Del Oro has gone smoothly. "Players, coaches, all treated me really well through the process," Taber said. "Just over the spring and offseason, just been great learning the playbook and just getting ready for the season." Once eligible, Taber will give Del Oro another option at quarterback. "He's a heck of an athlete," Josh Parry said. "He's got great feet, runs, his vision, strong arm, great leader." Until then, Taber said he plans to help the team from the sideline while continuing to prepare. "Just be the best leader I can be towards the team," he said. "Just help out Grayson. He's doing a great job right now. Just help him out the best I can and stay ready when I come back." Taber has already made an impression on his teammates. "His speed and his awareness is just crazy, out of this world," Landen Parry said. "Never seen any QB like this." Del Oro also has several younger players expected to contribute. Junior Jackson Wright has impressed the coaching staff with his work on both the offensive and defensive lines. Junior defensive end Rex Von Seipler has emerged as a disruptive player, while junior cornerback Micah Johnson has continued to improve and led the team in interceptions during the spring and summer, according to Landen Parry. "They're ready to burst out in their time," Parry said. "When their team needs you, they're going to be ready." The Golden Eagles will need contributions from that group as they work through a challenging SFL schedule. For Landen Parry, the expectations surrounding the program are familiar. His father has coached at Del Oro and his older brothers played for the Golden Eagles, giving him a close look at the standard the program has established. "This group can for sure reach that standard," he said. "It's just about sticking together and just playing together." The scrimmage against Grant showed some of the areas Del Oro still needs to improve. Taber said the team was inconsistent early and didn't play with enough energy. "We have to stay consistent," he said. "We can't let our heads get down. We got to keep our heads up and just keep fighting." Josh Parry had a similar assessment. "You win the game Saturday to Thursday," he said. "You don't show up Friday and think it's going to go your way. You got to win it Saturday to Thursday in your preparation and the process." Dismukes said Del Oro understands there is work to do before it reaches the level it wants. "We need more effort, more discipline, and all the above," he said. "So to get to where we want to be and where we know we can be, we have to just put more in the pot." The Golden Eagles believe they have the personnel to compete for championships. The next step will be putting that group together and playing consistently once the games count. "Del Oro's been known to just pound people in the mouth nonstop," Landen Parry said. "We got to do that this year."