ARBUCKLE, CA (MPG) – Entering their second year in the Northern Section Division III, the Pierce Bears are approaching the upcoming season with a different mentality as they try and elevate their game to compete not only with Sacramento Valley League rivals Winters and East Nicolaus, but also with division powerhouses Lassen and Orland.
“We’re going to push our guys and look for those who want to improve themselves and in turn improve the team,” said head coach Anthony Tapia. “If we can keep up at this pace and the guys in back can close the gap and push the ones in front, it should be a fun year with plentiful rewards.”
And while there are plenty of upsides resulting from this new message, one of the top priorities for this 2025 Bear squad is to fill the hole on defense created by the graduation of Humberto Esqueda, its top defensive player from a season ago.
A disruptive force, Esqueda accounted for 65 total tackles, six sacks, 13 hurries and generally created havoc on opposing offenses.
Yet, count on defensive coordinator Austin Bedart having some tricks up his sleeve with a group of athletes well suited to the 3-3 stack that Pierce will employ to find a way to make up for the loss.
Senior Mikey Acevedo moves from his linebacker spot to defensive end this year, while the Bears also have depth in the secondary where they are hoping fellow senior Thomas Sweet can stay healthy and lead the group that also includes seniors Jamison Porter, Jonathan Vazquez and Noah Sucevich in addition to juniors Colin Dye and Austin Jorge.
Spearheading the linebacker corps will be a trio of seniors in Nathan Gomez, Nate Macintosh and Robert Nesbitt, Jr., who last year combined for 83 tackles on a defense that yielded just 15.4 points per contest.
Nonetheless, the Bears are going to have to put up numbers offensively should they wish to achieve their goal and that starts with Jorge, the QB1 who replaces two-year starter Drew Burnum, a 2025 graduate.
Jorge did get a few reps last season when he completed nine passes for 60 yards and carried 15 times for an additional 94 and thus far, Tapia is pleased by what he has seen saying, “We’re really excited about the way Austin is progressing and that as a junior he has embraced a leadership role.”
For his part, Jorge admits that initially he wanervous about taking over at quarterback, but feels that he has settled in due in part to the continuity of the squad.
“I was a little worried at first, but I’m confident now,” Jorge said. “This team has great chemistry and works well together. We have put in the work, have good communication and help each other out. We’re ready to take this team further.”
In the backfield, Pierce will have the one-two punch of seniors Macintosh and Gomez, whose respective strengths are speed and power.
Difficult to slow down in the open field, Macintosh was the Bears’ leading rusher last year carrying 85 times for 533 yards and five touchdowns, while Gomez is a punishing back who rushed for 449 yards on 111 carries and scored five times as well.
Another weapon in the arsenal will be Porter, a versatile player and vocal leader, who Tapia sees as a wing on offense, but one that will contribute on defense as well.
At wideout Pierce will look to senior JR Figueroa who averaged 25.8 yards per catch in 2025 along with Dye, while Acevedo returns to play tight end where last year he hauled in six passes for 141 yards.
Be that as it may, the Bears’ offensive line is also crucial to the team’s success, where leading the way in the trenches will be seniors Alejandro Alcaraz and Eduardo Escobar along with juniors Chase Friel and Joel Haro.
It’s a group that has meshed well together according to Alcaraz, who also laid out the team’s goals stating that, “We all grew up together and the juniors are like our little brothers, but we have put in a lot of work. Our goal is to win the Sacramento Valley League and hopefully go far in the playoffs.”
Ultimately for Pierce though, the question is will its schedule be tough enough to prepare for what lies ahead in the postseason.
Certainly, the Bears will face their toughest non-conference challenge from Lincoln in week three and has to contend with the likes of East Nicolaus, Durham and Winters once league play begins in late September, but D3 is full of much larger powerhouse schools.
Thus, for them to compete and contend they be disciplined, driven and above all avoid key injuries.
Pierce opens the 2025 season tonight in Sutter Creek against an Amador squad that it edged 24-21 last year.