Game of the Week: Windsor hosts Tamalpais to open coach Sexton era

Friday will mark the beginning of a new season and era for the Windsor High School football program.

The Jaguars, coming off arguably their best year in school history, will embark on their 2022 campaign looking to build on the recent success with a new captain at the helm in first-year head coach Dean “DJ” Sexton.

Windsor, which is the No. 3 team in The Press Democrat’s preseason rankings, will be featured as the newspaper’s first Game of the Week this season as it opens the year at home Friday night against Tamalpais. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

“It’s an exciting time, not only here as a program but in the community here at Windsor, and at the school with everyone behind us,” Sexton said at practice on Tuesday. “So, we’re really looking forward to showing up Friday and putting our best foot forward.”

Prior to this season, Sexton, a Windsor native, had long been a junior varsity coach under Paul Cronin, the second-winningest coach in Sonoma County history. Sexton coached under Cronin for nearly a decade at Cardinal Newman and then joined him at Windsor for the 2021 season, when Cronin guided the varsity team to its second section title in school history and its first trip to a NorCal bowl game.

When Cronin left in the spring to take another job, Sexton — who led Windsor’s JV team to a 9-0 record — was an easy choice to step into the varsity role.

“It’s definitely a little more hype when you talk to people, but I try to keep it mellow, keep the same focus that I’ve had being a JV head coach,” Sexton said about heading into his first game heading the varsity squad. “It’s easy to get caught up in the hype, but I try to focus on what we can control and put in a good game plan, put in a good practice plan, and just showing up with a ton of energy.”

They’ll need that energy Friday to keep up with the Red-tailed Hawks, who have won at least six games in of the last three full seasons. Last season they went 7-5 and made it to the semifinals of the North Coast Section Division 4 playoffs.

“They’re definitely not a team that you’re excited about playing Week 1 because they’ll do some good things and they definitely present a challenge,” Sexton said.

Like Windsor, Tam lost a ton of talent to graduation, but does return a dynamic quarterback in junior Braden Young, who passed for 1,430 yards on 71% passing with 21 touchdowns and four interceptions as a sophomore.

Windsor saw him a few times this offseason during 7-on-7 camps and at their scrimmage last week. He’s a player that Sexton knows the Jaguars will have to limit if they want to open their season with a win.

“He’s a junior but he plays like he’s a senior,” Sexton said of Young. “He definitely can do a lot of things not just with his arm but with his feet, extending plays.”

Windsor counters with what could be one of the best quarterback-receiver tandems in the North Bay this fall in brothers Judson and Hayden Anderson. Hayden, a sophomore, was a breakout varsity star last year and should be even better this year catching passes from Judson, a junior.

Hayden is the youngest in an already young receiver corps that won’t feature a senior starter. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Windsor’s line — anchored by returning First-Team All-Defense senior Conner Contreras — will feature three returning starters on both sides of the ball.

Tam is also just the first test for Sexton and the Jaguars early this fall. In Week 2 they’ll play at Escalon, a Sac-Joaquin Section powerhouse, before hosting Campolindo, the No. 12 team in the Bay Area News Group’s preseason Top 25.

“We can’t overlook these guys but, yeah, we have our work cut out for us,” Sexton said. “But if we can weather the storm and get through it from a health standpoint, we’re going to be in a good spot, I think.”

You can reach Staff Writer Gus Morris at 707-304-9372 or gus.morris@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @JustGusPD.