For years, California High School football was struggling for wins. Changes were made in the offseason of 2021 and the Pintos brought in Seth Womack to be their new head coach. Womack's first season was a successful one for both his team and the town.
The Pintos went 7-4 and won their first playoff game since 2014. Along the way, California defeated conference rivals like Eldon, Southern Boone, School of the Osage and Versailles, but the Pintos were unable to take down some of the top teams in the conference and the district, like Blair Oaks, Hallsville and Boonville.
Although those losses were a letdown for the Pintos, they made a statement throughout the season: They were back to playing winning football.
The Pintos took a step forward in 2021. But in doing so, they lost several seniors that were pivotal to the run California made last season.
Womack has been training his players hard during the summer, not only to fill the voids the graduating class left behind, but to also try and keep Pintos football on the rise.
"Every year we lose seniors due to graduation, and that is why we practice the way do, so that every kid is being coach to be the next guy up," Womack said. "We return four of our five starters on our offensive line and that will be very key to our success this year. Experience on the line, either side of the ball, can determine whether a team will be successful or not."
One of the biggest takeaways from last season for Womack and his staff was they felt the Pintos left many tackles unfinished that could've led to the preservation of critical yards.
"We want to be more sound fundamentally on defense. We are going to focus a lot on securing tackles and playing to the whistle," Womack said. "We had some trouble last year with finishing tackles and we want to be a more complete team than we were last year. That will be where the season will start and end with us."
When he first got to California, Womack said he wanted his team to get better each year and make the necessary changes they needed from game to game and at least year to year. The 2022 season will be a year of noticeable changes for California at multiple positions, most notably at the quarterback and running back spots.
The Pintos have been experimenting throughout the summer with their sophomores and juniors on both sides of the ball and what roles they can play when the season starts next week.
"In football, traditionally, teams who can effectively run the football and play good defense, usually win the game. We have focused a lot on those two areas and will rely on defense and a solid running game," Womack said. "Of the young guys there are few that have had great summers and that is running back Brooks Volkart, offensive lineman Owen Pringer, and wide receiver/defensive back Hayden Kilmer. We have a very solid group of sophomores making a push for playing time and I would expect this list of names to grow."
Success in high school football is hard to sustain from year to year because the game and roster is always changing within a team and around the conference. Womack and his staff have been making some changes of their own in their playbook by developing a play called Zorro.
The details of the play are unknown, but Womack said no matter what plays the Pintos run throughout the course of a game, they want to focus on what they do best and that's running the ball and playing good defense.
"Our main goals other than winning games of course is to work hard each week and be the most prepared team on the field," Womack said. "Football is not just a competitive sport, but it's also an educational experience. Our hope is that our players will get the experiences that will help them later on in life all while playing and fighting to win football games."
The Pintos' 2022 season kicks off at home against the Savannah High School Savages on Aug. 26.