West Valley ended the 2025 football season with hope for what’s to come. A team primarily made up of juniors finished the regular season with a 7-3 record before losing to Orland in the first round of the Division III Northern Section playoffs.
But after former head coach Jason Weston’s resignation in December, and the failed attempt to rehire former coach Greg Grandell, the narrative around the team shifted.
It went from one of optimism to one of controversy and uncertainty.
It wasn’t until late June, after months of tense board meetings and a student protest, that the Eagles hired athletic director Kol Zuppan to lead the team in 2026.
It’s easy to write off a season after an offseason like the Eagles had, but as the 2026 season draws closer, they know they don’t have the luxury or time to dwell on the past.
Instead, Zuppan and the Eagles have been focused on setting the tone for the future.
“Obviously, we’ve had some adversity, but we’ve been telling the boys to stack good days on top of each other,” Zuppan said. “I think with adversity, there’s always some great things that come out of that; that’s how we become champions.”
While the Eagles lost a few key players from last year’s team, they returned three of their six All-Northern Athletic League selections in Chayce Reed, Gabe Keeton and Jayden Miller.
Reed, one of the top running backs in the Northern Section, headlines the list of returning players. He ran for 1,094 yards and 14 touchdowns on 131 carries as a junior.
“Chayce has a two-pronged attack,” Zuppan said. “He’s got the ability to be patient behind our linemen to find those holes, and then he’s got the ability to just put his head down; he’s almost like two running backs in one.”
Reed rushed for over 100 yards in every game but one, including two games with over 200 yards. He even battled through some adversity of his own in 2025.
“I missed a couple games because of an injury last year, but I’m not going to let that stop me this year,” Reed said. “I’m excited.”
Keeton, an all-section first team pick a year ago, will once again lead the Eagles offensive line. At 6-foot-7, 304 pounds, Keeton is one of the most physically dominant linemen in the section.
He’s the marquee returner on what both Zuppan and Reed expect to be a strong offensive line.
“I ran behind these guys my whole entire life, so I feel pretty comfortable,” Reed said. “I’m ready to just get the season started.”
The biggest unknown on the offensive side of the ball is at the quarterback position. Junior Kale Springer, an all-NAL selection, led the team as both its starting quarterback and linebacker in 2025.
This year, the Eagles are turning to sophomore Bryson Cordova. Zuppan praised Cordova for his ability to quickly learn and understand the playbook.
“As a sophomore, he hasn’t really skipped a beat,” Zuppan said. “He’s a great leader in the huddle. His athleticism at quarterback to be able to evade rush and extend plays is going to be vital for us.”
With Reed likely to be the primary focus of many opposing defenses, Cordova’s athleticism will allow the Eagles to complement Reed’s running game with play action fakes and bootlegs.
Zuppan wants to lean on that speed to “try and get to the edges and attack vertically,” he said.
Cordova also has a talented group of receivers to throw to out wide. Senior Savior Kelley, primarily a defensive back last season, will likely be the primary target as he assumes a larger role on offense.
Austin Coffman and all-league defensive back Jayden Miller will factor into the pass game with senior Brody Gurney handling blocking and receiving duties as a tight end.
“We’ve got a lot of threats on offense; we’ve got a lot of speed on offense,” Zuppan said. “I think it’s going to be a challenge for defenses to try and figure out who they’re going to try and take away.”
With many Eagles expected to operate on both sides of the ball, the speed that defines the offense will also help the defense.
“Our defensive line is pretty stout, our backers are flying around, but our secondary is probably the strength of it,” Zuppan said. “I think teams are going to have a hard time throwing on us, and if they try to go lateral it’s going to be tough because of our speed.”
Miller is the leader of that secondary. He had three interceptions a year ago and wants to double that in 2026. Kelley will continue to be a major contributor to the secondary. With younger players like Dante Reich and Carson Swetland stepping up as quality options in the backfield, Reed will also see more time on defense as a hybrid safety/linebacker.
The biggest weakness is on the defensive line, the positional group that saw the most seniors graduate. To combat that, many of the returning offensive linemen will shuffle around the defensive line.
Sophomore Liam Crossman is a name to watch as one of the new young players Zuppan expects to have an impact on the line.
“Last year, we kind of knew what to expect. This year there are some unknowns, but I think that’s exciting,” Zuppan said. “Some guys that, right now, haven’t really emerged yet are going to surprise some people.”
The Eagles play in a competitive Northern Athletic League, and like many other teams in the NAL, West Valley underwent significant changes to its personnel heading into 2026.
Last season, West Valley placed third behind Lassen and Yreka. The players are confident that they can raise the bar this year.
“If we play to the best of our abilities, we’re easily the number one team in the section,” Keeton said.
The Eagles kick off their season on the road against Kimball on Aug. 28. They’ll make their first appearance at The Pasture on Sept. 11 against Del Norte before hosting Anderson on Oct. 9 to begin league play.
The offseason might have been tumultuous, but that’s now in the past.
“The mantra that we took in this year is to be relentless,” Zuppan said. “It’s hard to beat somebody who never gives up.”
Brett Abrams is a sports reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. He covers high school and local sports in the Redding area. Reach out to Brett with any sports tips or news on X (formerly Twitter) @brabrams_ or by email at Brett.Abrams@Redding.com. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: After an offseason of uncertainty, West Valley football embraces a ‘relentless’ mindset
Reporting by Brett Abrams, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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By Brett Abrams, Redding Record Searchlight | USA TODAY Network
