Huntington Beach Oilers Fall 2021 Football Season Preview
Head Coach: Brett Brown
Coach Brown enters his sixth season as head coach of the Oilers and 16th overall season as a member of the coaching staff. Prior to becoming Head Coach in 2016, Brown served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, including in 2013 when the Oilers won a CIF Southern Section championship.
Coach Brown is a 2003 graduate of Marina High School where he captained both the varsity football and basketball teams during his senior year. In the Fall of 2003 as a freshman business student at Cal State Fullerton, Coach Brown began his coaching career at Ocean View High School.
Coaching Staff
- Diego Segura- Defensive Coordinator
- Greg Olquin- Offensive Line
- Josh Jordan- Receivers
- Alex Alagata- Defensive Line
- Kris Scott- Receivers
- Jeremiah Flanagan – Receivers
- Ryan Formento – Offensive Line
- Joe Wysocki – Running Backs
- Chris Estrada – Linebackers
- Chucky Vega – Defensive Backs
- Brad Hornback – Safeties
Key Departures:
- Jacob Sanden (OL)
- Jonah Del Rosario (WR/RB/SS)
- Joey Gentlella (QB)
Key Returners:
- Tyler Moses, Senior (SS/WR)
- Hideo Ray, Senior (WR/DB)
- Rylan Vibbard, Senior (OL/DL)
- AJ Perez, Senior (QB)
- Evan Riederich, Senior (LB)
- William Burke, Senior (OL)
- Nate Tauanuu, Junior (LB)
Under The Radar Players To Watch:
- Eli Anderson, Senior (WR/DB)
- Trent Leicht, Senior (OL)
- Brandon Cascia, Senior, (WR)
- Justin Tanauauu, Sophomore, (OL)
- Joe Carroll, Senior (DE)
- Caleb Kelly, Senior (WR) (Transfer from Orange Lutheran)
Can’t Miss Game:
10/1/2021 – Huntington Beach vs. Fountain Valley at Sheue Field (HBHS)
The Oilers open up Sunset League play on October 1st with a rivalry game against Fountain Valley. Coming off of a Week 6 bye, Coach Brown’s team will be well rested and well prepared and looking to make a statement against the improving Barons.
Outlook
Despite an underwhelming 2-4 Spring season, Huntington Beach is a team that’s headed in the right direction and looking to upset the Sunset League powerhouses this fall. The Oilers come into the 2021 season with a lot of experience and talent all over the field. They’ll benefit from having a full 10-week season with five non-conference games that will help them prepare for the challenge of Sunset League competition. The Oilers return seven all-league performers from last season. Brett Brown and his team have the same goals every year: to be the hardest working team and most physical team they can be. Their team motto is W.I.N. – work hard, integrity, no excuses.
Offense
The Oilers return senior QB AJ Perez who split time with graduated-senior Joey Gentlella last year. Coach Brown, the Oilers head coach and offensive coordinator, has a ton of confidence in Perez and believes the offense will take a step forward with Perez taking over as the full-time guy. The Oilers also return offensive Swiss Army knife Hideo Ray who was first team All-Sunset league as a junior, as well as team MVP Tyler Moses who was also first team All-Sunset league and did a little bit of everything on offense for the Oilers. Anchoring the offensive line will be seniors William Burke and Rylan Vibbard.
Defense
The Oilers defense started out strong last season but struggled as they got into the heart of their Sunset League schedule giving up an average of 37 points per game. They were a young group last year that looks to build on what they learned in the spring. They’re led by senior strong safety and team captain Tyler Moses as well as senior All-Sunset league middle linebacker EJ Riederich. The Oilers also expect to get major contributions from juniors like AJ Vandermade and Nate Tauanuu, as well as three-year starter Eli Anderson who will be moving from linebacker to safety.
Special Teams
Junior specialist Jad Othman will handle most of the kicking and punting for the Oilers this Fall, with Tyler Moses taking on some of the punting duties as well. The primary return guys will be Qunicy Hawkins and AJ Vandermade, though Hideo Ray and Tyler Moses will also get some action in the return game.