Mike Moon didn’t want to hear it.
Atop the dais at Marmonte League media day earlier this month, the Pacifica High football coach brushed aside the praise being heaped upon his defending champions.
“Rat poison,” Moon called it.
But the Tritons return most of the weapons from a CIF-Southern Section Division 3 championship team that went 15-1 and swept through the Northern Area’s top league by an average of 13.2 points per game.
The biggest question in the Marmonte League entering the 2026 season isn’t which team is the favorite.
It’s which team is capable of knocking off the Tritons?
Is it St. Bonaventure, which led at Pacifica last October, before David Carranza’s game-winning field goal on the game’s final snap?
“I think we should be the favorite,” argued St. Bonaventure quarterback Jaxson Carper. “This roster is no joke.”
Is it Bishop Diego, which lead Pacifica by double digits in the regular-season finale before succumbing to a Triton flurry in the second half?
Is it Simi Valley, which started the league’s current run of public-school success by winning the league title in 2024?
Simi Valley coach Jim Benkert, who enters the season within range of No. 6 on the state’s all-time list for coaching wins, understands what it takes to succeed in the Marmonte League.
“You have to play every down,” Benkert said. “You have to play every game. You have to be great in every facet of your game. Because if you’re not, you’re going to get beat.
“Everyone has players. .… It’s why we coach. We want to coach at the highest level. Every player in here wants to play at the highest level. It’s what we do. We want to play big-time football.”
Oaks Christian opens a new era under first-year coach Rudy Carlton.
“I’ve known the Mamonte League since 2008, when I was recruiting it as a (graduate assistant)” Carlton said. “I respect the athletes, the coaches. I’m so thrilled to be here.”
Although the Lions return just 25 players from last season’s varsity roster, the former Azusa Pacific University quarterback and head coach has loved how much growth he’s seen in his first months in charge.
“I said from Day 1, I’m going all in,” Carlton. “That’s the only way this transition is going to be great.”
As a result of the Northern Area releauging process for the 2026-27 seasons, Newbury Park has replaced Camarillo.
The last time the Panthers were in the Marmonte, they were a combined 0-8 in league play in 2019 and 2020.
Although Darrien Johnson, who played nearly every skill position on the field as a sophomore, is the type of player who can make Newbury Park a dangerous opponent any Friday night.
With tongue firmly in cheek, Newbury Park head coach Joe Smigiel was quick to volunteer for the league’s underdog role.
“We’re back to being big-time underdogs,” Smigiel said. “We’re just kind of survival mode trying to get through this year.”
Top returning players
Newcomers to watch
Biggest departures
Predicted order of finish
Joe Curley covers football for The Star. He can be reached at joe.curley@vcstar.com. For more coverage, follow @vcspreps on Twitter/X, Instagram/Threads, Facebook, Bluesky and TikTok.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: What you need to know about Marmonte League football in 2026
Reporting by Joe Curley, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Joe Curley, Ventura County Star | USA TODAY Network
