The Coachella Valley has perhaps never had a group of quarterbacks quite as good, collectively, as the group that played during the 2025 high school football season. They were that impressive.
Bishop Miller V of Palm Springs High School and A.J. Rivera of Palm Desert were co-Offensive MVPs in the Desert Empire League. Each player accounted for at least 2,500 yards and 33 touchdowns, with Rivera setting the school record for passing yards and touchdowns in a season.
Then there was the record breaking quarterback at Shadow Hills, Jesse Rodriguez, who threw for a valley-high 2,844 yards to go with 27 touchdowns, and All-DEL first team quarterback Roman Ansley of La Quinta, just to name a few.
This season, the crop of quarterbacks could be just as potent, depending on who you ask. With the 2026 season quickly approaching, the guys who return under center should provide a lot of excitement for valley football fans.
In this story, we’ll highlight the five who already have our attention entering the season, which begins Aug. 21.
Jesse Rodriguez, Shadow Hills
First off, you have to look at Rodriguez, who helped turn Shadow Hills from a run-first to a pass-first team last season. At just 5-foot-9, he’s not the biggest quarterback in the valley but he may be the most accurate among those returning. He completed 63.4% of his passes last season and his 27-to-10 touchdown-to-interception ratio is one of the best in the valley among those returning.
Rodriguez could benefit from new head coach Nick King, who enters his first year as a head coach after years starring for and coaching as an offensive assistant at Palm Springs. King said that he will bring some of what worked for Miller at Palm Springs last year with him to Shadow Hills, though he also expects to balance out the Knights offense with more running this season.
Ivan Garza, Coachella Valley
Garza should also be a player to watch closely. A senior, he helped lead the Arabs to a CIF-SS semifinals appearance a year ago, behind a 19-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He also ran for nearly 500 yards and five touchdowns.
The expectation here is that Garza, who has added about 12 pounds to his frame and still increased his speed and jumping ability during the track season, will have an even more productive season this year.
Mario Gallo, Desert Christian Academy
Gallo threw for 1,567 yards with a 29-to-4 touchdown to interception ratio in leading DCA to a perfect, 10-0, regular season in 2025. The schedule is a bit tougher this year as the Conquerors face Yucca Valley and Cathedral City among its non-league schedule. But there’s reason to believe that Gallo will still be very productive, as he has some solid receivers returning.
Samuel Mourhess, Xavier Prep
After posting big numbers at Desert Chapel last season, Mourhess is now at Xavier Prep. This is one of the most intriguing developments of the offseason. Mourhess threw for 3,096 yards and 24 touchdowns in nine games last year.
The jump in talent level to the DEL will be substantial and it will be fascinating to see what he can do. But he now has a lot more talent around him than he did last season.
Mourhess ran the run-and-shoot offense last year, and new Xavier Prep head coach Michael Karls is quite familiar with that offense from his time playing for the SoCal Coyotes developmental football team. Expect that familiarity to play a role in not only Xavier Prep’s offense this year, but also in the production of Mourhess.
Joshua Perez, Palm Desert
Rounding out a top five, Palm Desert’s Joshua Perez, a junior, is a player who could have a big year. He’ll be surrounded by a host of offensive talent and showed last year in the playoffs that even when the stakes are high he doesn’t shrink under the weight of the pressure. I like that he has star receiver Trey Boulton returning, as well as several other skilled playmakers around him. That should help him tremendously.
Your turn to vote
Let your voice be heard. We want to hear from you. Which of these five returning quarteracks do you think will have the biggest season in 2026. Simply vote in the poll at the bottom of this article at desertsun.com. Whoever has the most vote by noon on Saturday will be your winner.
Last week: We asked you to vote on the fastest football player in the desert and you belive that it will be Coachella Valley speedster Ryan Rumsey.
Andrew John is a reporter for The Desert Sun. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com. Find him on Instagram: @desertwriter.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Who is the valley’s top returning quarterback for 2026?
Reporting by Andrew John, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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By Andrew John, Palm Springs Desert Sun | USA TODAY Network
