Jaguars Excited About Offensive Capabilities This Football Season

With the start of the regular season less than two weeks away, the Valley Center varsity football team is working hard in the summer heat to get ready for a run at another chance to play for the CIF championship.
The Jaguars have an experienced team this year, which makes quarterback Beau Reilly excited to lead the attack.
“We have a lot of experience on both sides of the ball, especially on offense,” he says. “With our wide receivers, our running backs, and with me coming back as the quarterback, we experienced that final game last year, and it’s really true—we want more. And we’re working hard to make sure we get it.”
The most noticeable change in Reilly from last year is his size—the 6’4” senior gained 30 pounds over the off-season, and he says the positive results are what he’s been looking for.
“I was at 150 last year and now I’m up to 180, which has helped my arm strength,” he says. “I’ve really tried hard to work on the physical aspects of the game so I’ll be able to make all the throws I need to.”
A big positive is his connection with his receivers, including senior wideout Taylor Oshinski, who returns after an ankle injury kept him out of all but the final game last season.
“Having Taylor back is a big asset for our offense,” Reilly says. “He and I came out even during volleyball season two or three times a week and work on our routes, just getting the timing down, so we’d be able to come out again this season without missing a beat.”
Reilly will also benefit from the big target presented by Stehly Reden, an all-state lineman who has converted to receiver this season.
“It’s been fun [switching to receiver],” Reden says of the change. “It’s something I always practiced, but we never had another guy to play line, so that’s where I played. But now we’ve got a lot of solid guys there, so I can move over here.”
Reden adds that his off-season work has been focused on improving the skills necessary to be a more dangerous threat in the passing game.
“I’ve been doing a lot of speed work, always trying to get a better forty time,” he says. “Me and Beau have been best friends for a long time, and we’re always throwing the ball around whenever we get together. It’s great because we have that chemistry built in. We know what each other are going to do.”
The Jaguars all hope the year ends with more than just the CIF runner-up distinction the team earned last season, and Reilly says the pursuit of the title begins in week one.
“I’m getting jacked up for our home opener,” he says of the Jags’ home game against San Pasqual on Sept. 3. “They hate us and we hate them. It’s a long rivalry for both of us, and it’s going to be a fun game to watch.”
Reden knows that the offense has to fire on all cylinders if the Jaguars want to bring home another CIF championship.
“Our passing game is strong with a lot of juniors and seniors,” he says. “Our offensive line is young, but our defense is always strong. I just hope that we can end the year with a CIF championship. That would be an awesome way to end our senior year.”
The Jags travel to Mira Mesa on Friday for a scrimmage at 4:30 p.m. before next Friday’s season opener against San Pasqual on Sept. 3 at 7 p.m.