Hard Knocks Training Camp

The boys of summer are back together on the gridiron. Helmets are on. Pads are equipped. And the coach’s whistle can be heard across the field. The student athletes of the Calabasas High School Coyotes football team held their training camp from Thursday, July 28th, through Wednesday, August 10th, where they attended meetings, ran drills, hit the weights, conditioned, and watched hours of film—to improve every single day in preparation for the upcoming football season.

The Coyotes are loaded and ready, led by junior QB Alonzo Contreras, who received a scholarship offer from UNLV. The offense has dynamic weapons starting with junior Aaron Butler, a USC commit, and rounded out with senior RB King Miller (offers from San Jose State and Nevada); senior TE/DE Domato Peko (Grambling State); senior WR/CB Jerry Mc-Gee (Morgan State, Portland State, and Jacksonville State); sophomore WR/CB Arion Lang (Portland State, Morgan State, and Jacksonville State); junior RB Josh Nazmiyev; and senior kicker Sean Stepenosky (L.A. Rams intern and offer from Knox College).

Other crucial leaders the Coyotes will depend on include seniors OL/DL Kaylon Miller, OL/DL Ryan Lucero, OL/LB Makiah Hays, and OL Jackson Neff, and QB Carter McKinney. Sophomore Aria Ekholm is the first female wide receiver in school history.

Over the past four years, Calabasas football has stood strong as a prominent program that has sent more than 25 student athletes to prestigious football programs, such as at Yale University, University of Penn, UCLA, Cal Berkeley, Oregon State, University of Georgia, Arizona State University, University of San Diego, Wesleyan University, University of Wyoming, Portland State University, and Tufts University.

“Our goal for all Calabasas and Agoura High School student athletes is for them to be leaders on the field and court, in the classroom, and in the community,” says Superintendent of Schools Dr. Dan Stepenosky. “We constantly encourage our coaches to share the importance of citizenship, academics, and perseverance. This is a great time of year as the students develop lasting bonds with their teammates and challenge themselves to grow and improve athletically and academically.”