Ex-assistant (and head) coach back at IHS’ helm
Meet the new boss.
Different from the old boss, but not too much so from a former boss. Who just so happens to be Ignacio Football’s new boss, taking over this fall for the retired Alfonso Garcia.
“I never have ‘quit’ coaching; I’ve either continued to coach in either YAFL or some way, shape or form with the kids,” incoming/returning head coach Jake Nossaman said. “So, I’d like to think that I’m a little more mature; I was pretty young when I started my first tenure coaching the Bobcats. So, I think I’ve matured, been seasoned a little more.”
“Changed professions there a little bit in order to raise a family,” he continued, “but never lost my love for the game and coaching. And ‘Ponch’ left us with just a great group of guys; I’m just hoping I can continue some of the traditions that we have, not just this year, and continue to have numbers and also get some younger folks in.”
And though any young blood will certainly be welcome for IHS’ 2025 campaign, Nossaman – who previously led the program from 2003 to 2006 – and a reloaded staff of assistants (on Garcia’s staff since his 2015 arrival, Bill Gwinn also decided during the offseason to step away, as did Lupe Huerta, who’d initially succeeded Nossaman and then guided Ignacio until Garcia was given the reins) will lean greatly upon a battle-hardened senior class anchored offensively by quarterback Zane Pontine, fullback/running back Lincoln deKay and receiver Gabe Archuleta, amongst others.
“I’m super proud of them for transitioning from last year into this year, and that I’m starting with them. It’s going to help the younger kids develop too; that leadership just helps you grow even quicker, and also helps with freshmen coming in – having role models who already know the system,” said Nossaman. “A great group of athletes, and great group of guys; we have high expectations for them.”
Ignacio will kick off Nossaman’s return season at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, against non-conference 1A Manual and seek payback for last year’s 22-19 loss in Denver. The Thunderbolts finished 2-2 in League 6 last fall, and 5-4 overall via a season-ending forfeit win at Edgewater-based Jefferson (devastated and demoralized 72-0 the previous week at Ault Highland).
“It’s Zero Week, but … they come here,” said Nossaman. “That was a good, competitive game (last year); we made a few errors there, otherwise we might have been in the win column. But it was the first game and you’re going to expect to make a few errors. But it’s a good school, and good competition.”
The Bobcats will then travel to Cedaredge (6-3 overall, 3-2 1A Western Slope in 2024) on the 29th for a 6 p.m. start against the Bruins, who won 29-20 last year at IHS Field. After recharging during the first week of September, Nossaman’s crew will resume competition Friday, Sept. 12, at home against Olathe (2-6, 0-5 Western Slope), with kickoff set for 7 p.m. Non-conference work then continues on the 19th when Bayfield comes to town to rekindle the Pine River Rivalry renewed in ’24, when BHS (4-5, 1-4 2A Intermountain) pulled out a 38-35 win inside Wolverine Country Stadium.
And after another ‘bye’ the following week, IHS will begin South Central (a.k.a. Southern Peaks) Conference play at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, against heavyweight Centauri. Trinidad then visits on the 10th, before Ignacio concludes regular-season play with trips to Center (10/17, 7 p.m.), reigning SCC champ Monte Vista (10/24, 6 p.m.) and Del Norte (10/31, 7 p.m.).
“I was kind of worried that Del Norte wasn’t going to have a team and we weren’t going to get our full schedule in, but it sounds like they will,” Nossaman said. “It all kind of starts a little early, but also having a couple breaks in there – a couple bye weeks – kind of helps us recover and get people healthy … if we have those injuries we tend to get.”
“But that’s small-school football; you typically have a pretty big difference between your starting guys and your developing guys,” he continued. “So, we’ve been hitting the weight room four days a week, Monday through Thursday – Friday, Saturday and Sunday are family days – to try to stay ready to go.”
A 1998 IHS graduate himself, with son Kendrick now set to ply his trade at the college level in ’25 and son Tyce to again don the red-and-white, Nossaman indicated a dream to one day return Ignacio Football to its highest heights, though aware IHS has not experienced postseason play since Huerta’s 2008 and 2009 ’Cats reached CHSAA’s Class 1A State Playoffs.
“I’m just hoping to … carry on the tradition and get back to the winning we had in the late 80s,” he said, “and see football thrive in this small town. And I’m just super proud to be a part of it. Love being a Bobcat!”
2024 1A SOUTH CENTRAL STANDINGS (conference, overall)
1.Monte Vista (5-0, 7-3); 2.Centauri (4-1, 8-2); 3.IGNACIO (3-2, 4-5); 4.Center (2-3, 2-7); 5.Trinidad (1-4, 2-6); 6.Del Norte (0-5, 0-9).
LONG MEMORY
Including an insane 60-42 win over Bayfield, Nossaman’s 2003 Bobcats finished 5-4 overall. And during his four seasons at the helm Ignacio, according to available records, went 13-23 – Garcia went 34-51 (18-28 SPC/SCC) from 2015 to ’24 – but ended on a high note. Powered by QB Scott Hill, RB Ryan Neil and WR Derek Rodriguez, IHS closed out ’06 winning a shootout at then-SPC member Mancos. And Nossaman remembers it well.
“Had a great group of athletes and we won in Mancos,” he said, “but came up short [in the previous game] against Sanford. Had to win that to go to Playoffs, but … came up short.”
SHS’ head-to-head win over Ignacio ultimately determined third place in the conference, while DNHS’ head-to-head win over Sargent decided first. Within the next few years, MHS, Sargent and Sanford all reclassified as (and still are) 8-man football programs, and Del Norte spent 2014-19 as such before rejoining the 11-man ranks.