The562’s coverage of Cabrillo Athletics is sponsored by the Cohn Family.
Cabrillo’s football program is embracing a fresh start under first-year coach Malcolm Manuel who is aiming to build consistency on the field and excitement off it on the Westside.
Manuel said the first few weeks have been about getting the players used to a different way of doing things and setting new standards. While the team is easing back into their routine, he’s encouraged by their progress so far.
“Our biggest goal right now is to compete at a high level and be consistent,” Manuel said. “If we can be good consistently at a few key things, we can compete in league and play the way we want to.”
The Jaguars open the season with four of their first five games on the road, a stretch Manuel sees as an opportunity to figure out what the team does well before the tougher league matchups begin.
Cabrillo kicks off their season on the road when they head to Artesia on August 22nd. The Jaguars then have a quick turnaround as they head to Los Angeles to take on LA Jordan before heading to Wilmington to take on Banning the week after that.
Cabrillo will then host Big Bear on Sept. 12 before opening Moore League play at Millikan on Sept. 19th.
The Jaguars will then host Compton the next week before taking on Lakewood and Wilson the first couple weeks of October.
on the Westside. He aims to bring consistency
and excitement to the Jags.
“You have to be able to run the ball and slow the game down,” Manuel said. “Teams like Poly and Millikan want you to speed up and get out of your comfort zone. We’re putting a big emphasis on technique and playing to our strengths up front.”
Following their bye week on October 17th, the Jaguars have home games against Poly and Jordan to wrap up the regular season.
Manuel knows a thing or two about building a program from the ground up. During his time at Narbonne, he helped transform the team by making football fun again and connecting the community to the program.
“At Narbonne, we made it exciting for the kids, families, and the community,” he said. “We got people involved with merchandise and events, and we built a sense of pride in the program. When kids feel like it’s important and fun, they compete harder.”
He’s bringing that same approach to Cabrillo. While the plan is to take things one day at a time, Manuel says there are already plenty of ideas in motion to get families and the community excited about Jaguars football.
“Once you get people looking forward to Cabrillo football, you’ll see more consistency and pride,” he said. “It’s all about making it fun and building something these kids want to be part of.”
2025 Cabrillo Football Schedule
8/22 – at Artesia
8/26 – at Los Angeles Jordan
9/5 – at Banning
9/12 – vs Big Bear
9/19 – at Millikan
9/26 – vs Compton
10/3 – at Lakewood
10/10 – at Wilson
10/17 – BYE
10/24 – vs Long Beach Poly
10/30 – vs Long Beach Jordan
