WSL FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2022

Hello All

I Hope Back to School has not been too exhausting for everyone. 

Here’s my Week 1/Season Preview from WSL Athletics 

Here’s to a Safe, Fun, and Exciting Fall Football Season 

And as Always. GO Fresno State Bulldogs! Beat Cal Poly! 

Kevin Arias-Romero, 

Editor-in-Chief, WSL Athletics

WSL Contributor, The Pagmeter  

WSL Athletics Football Preview 2022

Welcome back football fans! Another fall is among us but the summer heat still lingers on as we kickoff another season of HS Football which will take place August 18th-19th and for the 6 teams that make up the WSL it also means that the race for the WSL Title also will kick off as well, First off is the Defending WSL Champions The Dos Palos Broncos. 

Dos Palos Broncos (Last Season, 10-1, 5-0 WSL, WSL Champs, Lost 1st Rd. CIF Central Section Division 2 Playoffs) 

2022 Schedule 

August 19th vs. Los Banos Tigers (Westside War Battle for The Cotton Bale) 

August 26th vs. Summerville Bears, Tuolumne (Central Section vs. Sac-Joaquin Section)

September 2nd @ Liberty-Madera Ranchos Hawks 

September 9th @ Pioneer Valley Panthers, Santa Maria

September 16th Bye Week 

September 23rd vs. Chowchilla Tribe (Preseason Finale) 

September 30th @ Avenal Buccaneers (WSL Kickoff) 

October 7th vs. Mendota Aztecs (Cross-County Rivalry, 559 vs. 209 and Homecoming, WSL Home Opener) 

October 14th vs. Tranquillity Tigers (Senior Night)

October 21st @ Firebaugh Eagles 

October 28th @ Coalinga Horned Toads (Season Finale) 

Strength of Schedule: B+ 

Projected Finish in WSL: 3rd

Firebaugh Eagles (Last Season, 9-3, 3-1 WSL, WSL Runner-Ups, Lost in Quarterfinals CIF Central Section Division 3 Playoffs) 

August 19th vs. Reedley Pirates 

August 26th @ Fowler Redcats (Seeking Lucky 7 Straight Wins in Series)

September 2nd @ Caruthers Blue Raiders (Looking for back-to-back wins in series, last happened in 2015 & 2016) 

September 9th vs. Templeton Eagles (First time matchup all time according to Maxpreps) 

September 16th vs. Immanuel Eagles (first game since 2013 in which Firebaugh won 54-40) 

September 23rd Bye Week 

September 30th @ Coalinga Horned Toads (WSL Kickoff) 

October 7th @ Tranquillity Tigers 

October 14th vs. Avenal Buccaneers (WSL Home Opener/Homecoming) 

October 21st vs. Dos Palos Broncos (Senior Night) 

October 28th @ Mendota Aztecs (Battle of 33/Spirit Stick/Season Finale) 

Strength of Schedule: A

Projected Finish in WSL: 4th

Mendota Aztecs (Last Season, 8-4, 2-2 3rd in WSL, Lost in CIF Central Section Division 4 Championship Game, first postseason appearance since 2016-2017)

August 19th vs. Liberty-Madera Ranchos (Last matchup was 2019, Last win was in 2016, seeking to snap 3-game losing streak) 

August 26th @ McLane Highlanders, Fresno (Last matchup was in 2019, seeking to snap 2-game losing streak) 

September 2nd vs. Strathmore Spartans (Last matchup was in 2009 playoffs losing 53-20) 

September 9th vs. Roosevelt Roughriders (last matchup was 2017, seeking to extend win streak in series to 5 straight) 

September 16th Bye Week 

September 23rd vs. Immanuel Eagles (Seeking back to back wins which has never happened in current series according to Maxpreps) 

September 30th @ Tranquillity Tigers (WSL Kickoff/The Old School Rivalry aka: The League’s Most Hated Rivalry) 

October 7th @ Dos Palos Broncos (Cross-County Rivalry, 559 vs. 209) 

October 14th vs. Coalinga Horned Toads (Homecoming) 

October 21st @ Avenal Buccaneers 

October 28th vs. Firebaugh Eagles (Battle of 33/Spirit Stick/Senior Night) 

Strength of Schedule: A 

Projected finish in WSL: 2nd

Coalinga Horned Toads (Last Season: 6-4, 1-3 4th in WSL, Loss in Quarterfinals CIF Central Section Division 5 Playoffs) 

August 19th vs. Caruthers Blue Raiders (Seeking 2ndstraight win in series) 

August 26th @ Templeton Eagles (Seeking 3rd straight win in series) 

September 2nd vs. Selma Bears (Last matchup was in 2017, last win was in 2011 with the score of 38-0) 

September 9th @ Reedley Pirates (First time matchup according to Maxpreps) 

September 15th @ Justin Garza Guardians, Fresno (1styear for JGHS Football) 

September 23rd Bye Week 

September 30th vs. Firebaugh Eagles (WSL Kickoff/WSL Home Opener) 

October 7th vs. Avenal Buccaneers (Homecoming)

October 14th @ Mendota Aztecs 

October 21st @ Tranquillity Tigers 

October 28th vs. Dos Palos Broncos (Senior Night/Season Finale) 

Strength of Schedule: A+ 

Projected finish in WSL: 1st

Avenal High School (Last Season: 1-4, 0-1 5th in WSL, Note: remainder of season canceled due to COVID-19 Protocols) 

August 18th @ McFarland Cougars (Seeking back to back wins) 

August 26th vs. Orosi Cardinals (Looking to snap 3-game losing streak) 

September 2nd @ Riverdale Cowboys (looking to snap 3-game losing streak, last win was in 2016) 

September 9th vs. Farmersville Aztecs (Last win was in 2016 looking to avoid back to back losses) 

September 17th @ Hanford West (First time matchup according to Maxpreps) 

September 23rd Bye Week 

September 30th vs. Dos Palos (WSL Kickoff/WSL Home Opener) 

October 7th @ Coalinga Horned Toads 

October 14th @ Firebaugh Eagles 

October 21st vs. Mendota Aztecs (Homecoming) 

October 28th vs. Tranquillity Tigers (Senior Night/Season Finale) 

Strength of Schedule: C

Projected Finish in WSL: 5th

Tranquillity Tigers (Last Season: 0-8, 0-4 6th in WSL) 

August 18th vs. Riverdale Cowboys (seeking to snap 3-game losing streak, last win was in 2015) 

August 26th @ McFarland Cougars (seeking to snap 4-game losing streak, last win was in 2015) 

September 2nd @ Le Grand Bulldogs (looking for first win in series) 

September 9th @ Sierra Chieftains (last played in 2019, looking for back to back wins) 

September 16th Bye Week 

September 23rd vs. Minarets Mustangs (seeking to snap 3-game losing streak, last played in 2019, last win was in 2016) 

September 30th vs. Mendota Aztecs (WSL Kickoff/WSL Home Opener/The Old School Rivalry aka: The League’s Most Hated Rivalry) 

October 7th vs. Firebaugh Eagles (Homecoming)

October 14th @ Dos Palos Broncos 

October 21st vs. Coalinga Horned Toads (Senior Night) 

October 28th @ Avenal Buccaneers (Season Finale) 

Strength of Schedule: C- 

Projected finish in WSL: 6th

Projected WSL Standings 

1st Coalinga, 2nd Mendota, 3rd Dos Palos, 4th Firebaugh, 5th Avenal, 6th Tranquillity 

WSL Strength of Schedule Rankings 

1st Coalinga, 2nd Firebaugh, 3rd Mendota, 4th Dos Palos, 5th Avenal, 6th Tranquillity 

So, I hope you enjoyed reading this and looking forward to seeing more and more insights as the season marches on and we hopefully seeing a better playoffs than last season and that CIF made the right adjustments to give all schools a fair shot in the postseason. Good Luck to all WSL Teams and as always GO Fresno State! Beat The Cal Poly Mustangs in PRIMETIME!

Quote of the Week: “Self-Praise is for losers. Be a winner. Stand for something. Always have class, and be humble.” – Late NFL Hall of Fame Head Coach John Madden (1936-2021)

Stats and info: www.maxpreps.com

Quote: www.athlonsports.com/college-football/inspirational-football-quotes

Veteran Pag Meter writer- Kevin Arias-Romero

is a graduate of Mendota High Class of 2013 and is currently a student at West Hills Community College, NDC Firebaugh. He’s been a freelance writer since 2012 and started with WSL Athletics in the Spring of 2012 and has been covering WSL Athletics sports since then… His goal is to transfer to Fresno State and study in the Department of Media, Communications, and Journalism. 

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