Consistency key for young Westwood

A lot of new faces and a few old ones.

The former in terms of players and the latter in terms of coaches.

That’s how Mesa Westwood lines up for the 2008 season, which opens at 7 p.m. Friday for the Warriors at Gilbert High.

A familiar face returning to the coaching staff is Greg Mendez, a varsity assistant last year. Mendez, however, has moved up to head coach this season. Mendez took over in May for Eddy Zubey, who left for Phoenix St. Mary’s.

Overall, Westwood has seven new coaches on its staff this season.

Mendez inherits a young team and anticipates his share of growing pains.

“The thing I see most that we have to cut down on is inconsistency,”

Mendez said. “There’s so much inexperience. Plus we have to get some kids into leadership roles to help that along.”

Only four players who started last year return. One is playing a different position this year. The defense returns one player. That’s where another old face comes in.

Roger Suchomel, a former Warriors head coach and longtime assistant before that, returns. Suchomel will work as the defensive coordinator.

“We teach right across the hall from each other,” Mendez said. “I bounce ideas off him quite a bit. It’s nice to have him and my dad on the staff. They have a lot of knowledge and experience to draw from.”

Mendez doesn’t have visions of a state title keeping him awake at night.

“The team goal is to make the playoffs,” Mendez said. “That’s a reasonable goal. To do that we need to be consistent and clicking on all cylinders.

“We can have two really great practices and then two bad ones follow. You have to develop and maintain focus that gives you four or five good practices in a row in preparing for an opponent. That’s the stage we’re trying to get to.”

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Roster

No.	Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Yr.
10	Tymes Marsh	WR-DB	5-10	160	Sr.
14	Michael Romero	WR-DB	5-9	160	Jr.
15	Phillip Neal	RB-LB	6-0	170	Jr.
16	Marshall Davis	QB-DB	6-0	170	Sr.
17	George Freeman	WR-DB	5-11	155	Sr.
18	Steven Hall	QB-DB	5-10	165	Jr.
19	Jake Tyra	RB-DB	5-10	170	Sr.
20	Dominique Mitchell	RB-DB	5-6	155	Jr.
21	Mason Price	WR-DB	5-11	170	Sr.
22	Brian Kelley	RB-DB	5-6	165	Sr.
24	Zavier Cubean	WR-DB	5-7	175	Sr.
25	Anthony Robles	WR-DB	5-9	160	Jr.
28	Victor Valverde	WR-DB	5-9	160	Sr.
31	Chris Lopez	RB-LB	5-8	170	Jr.
32	Robert Gladem	RB-LB	5-11	175	Jr.
33	Sid Begay	RB-DB	5-7	150	Sr.
34	Kyler Mickelson	RB-LB	5-10	160	Jr.
45	Jose Andrino	WR-DB	5-10	160	Jr.
50	Charles Painter	OL-DL	6-0	220	Jr.
51	Nestor Rosales	OL-DL	5-9	175	Sr.
52	Joseph Rodriguez	RB-LB	5-9	170	Jr.
53	David Garcia	OL-DL	5-8	215	Sr.
54	Dustin Keser	FB-LB	5-11	210	Sr.
55	Cesar Buelna	WR-LB	5-11	175	Jr.
58	Christian Langston	OL-DL	6-1	180	Jr.
60	Moses Taufa	OL-DL	5-8	280	Jr.
66	Joseph Green	OL-DL	6-2	290	Sr.
68	Dylan Walker	OL-DL	6-	215	Jr.
70	John Holtz	OL-DL	5-10	200	Jr.
71	Steven Hills	OL-DL	6-3	270	Jr.
72	Xavier Villapondo	OL-DL	5-10	180	Sr.
73	Gart Wright	OL-DL	6-0	225	Sr.
74	Brian Schlechty	OL-DL	6-1	240	Jr.
75	Kyle Sagale	OL-DL	6-3	240	Sr.
77	Daniel Johnston	OL-DL	6-1	275	Sr.
80	Daniel Lopez	WR-LB	6-0	175	Sr.
81	Maika Papali	TE-DL	6-2	205	Jr.
82	Jake Shill	TE-DL	6-2	195	Sr.
83	Noe Gutierrez	OL-DL	6-1	190	Sr.
84	Deandre Barnes	TE-LB	6-0	175	Jr.
85	Anthony Bryant	WR-DB	6-2	180	Sr.
87	Brandon Harris	TE-LB	6-0	185	Sr.
88	Kyle Antone	OL-DL	6-0	220	Jr.
89	Tevin Miller	OL-DL	5-11	200	Sr.
90	Julian Garnica	OL-DL	5-11	190	Jr.
91	Gilberto Cruz	WR-DB	5-10	155	Sr.
95	Dominic Martinez	OL-DL	6-1	295	Sr.
97	Juan Samuals	OL-DL	6-0	210	Jr.