An experienced head coach like Jerry Prieto has seen a little bit of everything over the years.
From the peak of coaching a state championship game – like he did in 2020 – to the pits of a season gone off the rails due to factors out of one’s control.
On that second point, it’s been an imperfect storm of sorts for Dayton Broncos football in 2024.
Injuries have ravaged the Broncos, the schedule has been incredibly tough and the coach has only been on campus since February. Prieto and his staff are still learning about their players and teaching their ways as a season that hasn’t gone their way season progresses.
Even with all that said, it’s still homecoming week and a time to go out under the lights of Bronco Stadium on a fall Friday night and put up a prideful fight for the hometown crowd.
Dayton (2-5, 0-4) looks to snap a four-game slide at 7 p.m. as District 8-5A Division II foe Splendora (2-5, 0-4) visits with an identical record.
“Man, it’s tough because you’re just dealing with all these injuries and trying to fit kids in different spots,” Coach Prieto said Tuesday. “The things that made it easier (in past instances), though, is that it was not a first-year at a program deal. We had built some more depth and had kids that could make a position change and we could do it at halftime, if needed.”
Dayton comes in off a 49-0 loss at Huntsville last week, the first time the Broncos had been shutout since 2020. It came at a cost of their third starting quarterback used this season as Braden Gutierrez was injured.
Starting quarterback Jerry Prieto Jr, a sophomore, was injured in the district opener at Montgomery on Sept. 27. Backup quarterback, Denim Foster, more of a runner by trade, played six-and-a-half quarters at the position before suffering an injury two weeks back against Lake Creek. And then Gutierrez went down against the Hornets.
“That’s been the biggest struggle with the injuries,” Coach Prieto said. “We’re learning the kids and they’re learning us and they’re learning the system. When you have injuries like this, you’re almost always a week behind just because kids are trying to learn one spot and then when you have these injuries and you have to move them, they have to learn a different spot. It’s been a struggle and something I haven’t handled as well as I should have.
“But we’re just trying to do the best we can to get these kids in positions to be successful.”
This type of season isn’t anything new for the experienced Prieto.
Been there, done that.
“Unfortunately, I’ve been through injuries like this two other times,” he said. “Once as a head coach up the road (at Crosby) and once as an offensive coordinator when I was at Corpus Christi.”
But with injuries comes opportunity, and Coach Prieto and his staff have seen positive signs over the past few weeks.
“Offensively, we have a kid named Wyatt Keasling and he’s been playing receiver and he’s stepped in and played some quarterback last week,” Prieto said. “He’s probably going to play a lot more this week and that’s definitely helped.”
Another player has seen time on both sides of the ball.
“Aaron Wright has gone back and forth between safety and corner and just wherever we’ve needed him,” Coach Prieto said.
Another banged up player has stood out to Coach Prieto, too, This one had a two-interception game against Nederland.
“Another senior – (Azrae) Beechem – he’s played through some injuries and he’s been tough,” Coach Prieto said. “He’s been able to stay in there and play. He’s really helped us a lot this year.”
Senior running back Jaleel Kendrick is having a career year at the position and has been a steady presence for the Broncos offense. On defense, leaders like seniors Andrew Soliz and Devin Tanner as well as juniors Merkle Judge and Rakin Akmal continue to plug away.
With defending state champion Port Neches-Groves at the top of the standings, followed by teams the Broncos have already lost to in Nederland, Huntsville (a state semifinalist last year), Montgomery and Lake Creek, the Broncos playoff hopes are all but diminished.
The next three weeks will see competition and experiences learned that could bode positively into the Broncos’ offseason.
“They get a chance to play football,” Coach Prieto said. “Unfortunately, we only have three games left. But to get to play three more games and we get to coach three more games. That’s kind of been the approach that we’ve been taking since our loss to Huntsville solidified that we’re out of playoff contention.”
The Broncos haven’t quit.
“I think the kids’ attitudes have been good,” Coach Prieto said. “I do believe that this is the toughest district in the state of Texas for 5A Division II. You look at the pre-district record of our district and I think it was 18-6 and most of us were playing teams up a classification. We have some teams that aren’t going to go play a playoff game. This is our district and we’ve just got to go out and play.”
Homecoming night is the next opportunity for the Broncos.
Coach Prieto said the team is still enthusiastic and are looking forward to seeing what former teammates and alums come to Bronco Stadium to support them.
Splendora is a semi-familiar team from a neighboring community that is trying to build back under a new – but experienced – head coach in Brandon Craus. It’s two wins this season is already a step up on the 1-9 record of 2023.
The Wildcats have dropped five straight games – including a 62-28 home defeat to Montgomery last week – after starting the season 2-0. The Broncos and Splendora most recently met in 2017, the last time the Wildcats were moved up to 5A. Dayton won that meeting, but Splendora won in 2016.
“Spirits are high and the kids are working hard,” Coach Prieto said. “They are looking forward to playing Friday and I guess homecoming for them helps a little bit. For me, it’s just another game. Homecoming or not, we’re trying to treat them all like a state championship game. But I think it adds a little bit to the kids.”
