Has parity arrived in the Tri-County League?
Agoura High dominated the Northern Area’s fourth-tier league last season, finishing undefeated in league play.
But the Chargers have moved up to the Coastal 101 this releaguing cycle. The remaining teams — Fillmore, Santa Paula, Hueneme, Royal, Dos Pueblos and San Marcos — may all be within striking distance of one another.
“With Agoura gone, that transforms the whole league,” Santa Paula head coach Mike Montoya said. “The landscape has changed, but in a good way.”
There can only be one Tri-County League champion.
Fillmore, which finished runner-up to Agoura in league as part of a stellar 2025 season, isn’t bashful about its goals.
“We have an abundance of confidence coming off of last year, with an abundance of returners,
especially,” Fillmore head coach Charlie Weis said. “We are in a good, strong position and we feel like we are in control of our destiny.
“We know that it is on us to be able to earn that and take it.”
The Flashes possessed of the top rushing offenses in Ventura County in 2025, putting up 2,561 yards and 34 touchdowns thanks to a relentless offensive line and crafty ball-carrying from now-graduated running back Jasiah Patterson (1,440 yards, 16 TDs).
That offensive gameplan may look a little more versatile this year with pass-catching weapons aplenty in the blue and white. The receiver trio of Saul Fraga, Drew Estrada and Ethan Zavala will have a chance to make some noise in a more aerial attack.
“There are going to be some really high-flying elements to it,” Weis said of the 2026 offense.
At rival Santa Paula, a similar offensive mindset is taking hold.
With a full varsity campaign under his belt, junior quarterback Rene Vegas, who helped lead the Cardinals to the CIF-Southern Section Division 12 title game, will be relied upon to deliver the ball with precision.
“Our passing game came a long way this offseason,” Montoya said. “That stands out to me.”
One thing hasn’t changed — the name Alcantar on the back of a Santa Paula jersey.
Brothers Dominic Alcantar (running back, safety) and Xavier Alcantar (inside linebacker) will fill each of their elder brother Sebastian Alcantar’s positions from last year.
A pair of brothers will also share the field again at Royal, which moved down from the third-tier Channel League this offseason after finishing 1-4 with a win over Oxnard.
Seniors Preston Murray (quarterback) and Landen Murray (running back) spent last year getting accustomed to first-year head coach Adam Brubaker’s offense — a throwback, with wing-T and veer concepts.
The brothers think it is anything but stale.
“Our offense is going to explode this year,” said Preston Murray, who spent much of last season recovering from a lower leg injury. “If your goal is to run, I need to teach you how to walk first. Last year was walking. This year, we are fully sprinting, using all of our tools.”
Alongside Royal, Hueneme could be poised for a breakout season.
The talk of the offseason was the development of running back Kelechi Ofoego and quarterback Alex Bravo — two key figures in the the offensive scheme.
“Whether he is on defense or offense, he sets the tone for everybody,” Bravo said of Ofoego.
“Give him the ball, he gets loose (and) makes the first guy miss,” teammate Anthony Castro added. “He is like (Detroit Lions running back) Jahmyr Gibbs — it’s what he does.”
After winning just one league contest in the last three years, the Vikings senior class is hungry.
“If we had a shot, it would be right now,” Ofoego said.
Top returning players
- Saul Fraga, Fillmore: The senior wideout and safety is a star for the Flashes on both sides of the ball.
- Nate Perez, Fillmore: The senior quarterback orchestrated the offense to a 9-2 record with 1,160 passing yards and 12 TDs.
- Landyn Long, Fillmore: The 5-foot-11, 270-pound right guard is a tone-setter in the trenches.
- Gael Flores, Santa Paula: The disruptive senior defensive end finished last season with 10 sacks and 21 tackles for a loss.
- Imari Carveth, Santa Paula: The Cardinals’ deadliest threat in the passing game caught 40 balls for 503 yards last year.
- Rene Vega, Santa Paula: The junior quarterback hit his stride last season.
- Preston Murray, Royal: The 6-foot-2 senior quarterback is back in the saddle after a lower leg injury kept him out of all but three games last season.
- Landen Murray, Royal: The brother of quarterback Preston Murray rushed for 821 yards and scored 10 of Royal’s 24 total TDs in 2025.
- Kelechi Ofoego, Hueneme: The senior running back and defensive back led the team in rushing yards, scoring and tackles last season.
- Alex Bravo, Hueneme: It was a big offseason for the 6-foot-2 quarterback who started eight games for the Vikings last season.
Newcomers to watch
- Drew Estrada, Fillmore: Though not technically a newcomer, the St. Bonaventure transfer sat out last season and will be heavily relied upon on both sides of the ball.
- Stephen Torres, Fillmore: The agile defensive back and receiver has proven himself a master of the acrobatic catch in preseason camp.
- Skylar Batchelor, Royal: The 6-foot-1 sophomore outside linebacker had two interceptions last year at Lancaster.
- Jaden Garner, Royal: The 6-foot, 300-pound center will step in as the starter for his sophomore season.
- Luis Medina, Santa Paula: The junior linebacker has carved out a role in his first varsity campaign.
Biggest departures
- Agoura: Perhaps the most important departure from the Tri-County League was last season’s league champion Agoura.
- Tommy Alamillo, Fillmore: The senior made plays both scoring the football and in the secondary for the Flashes.
- Jasiah Patterson, Fillmore: The Tri-County League Offensive Back of the Year rushed for 1,440 yards and 16 TDs in 2025.
- Sebastian Alcantar, Santa Paula: The Cardinals rode the running back and middle linebacker all the way to the CIF-SS Division 12 title game.
- Jorge Gonzalez, Santa Paula: The 6-foot-5, 280-pound tackle was the Tri-County League Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year last season.
- Kaarlo Anderson, Dos Pueblos: The Tri-County League Co-Defensive Lineman of the Year had 17 tackles for a loss and two sacks last year.
- Cole Dominguez, San Marcos: The senior running back rushed for 871 yards and 13 TDs last season.
- Ja’Quon Hargrove, Hueneme: The receiver was the only Vikings player to catch more than one TD pass last season.
- Griffin Perry, Royal: The senior running back accounted for nine of the Highlanders’ 21 rushing TDs in 2025.
Predicted order of finish
- 1. Fillmore: The Flashes return countless pieces from last year’s record-setting team. Their lone league loss was a 42-17 defeat to Coastal 101-bound Agoura.
- 2. Santa Paula: The Cardinals graduate key seniors in Sebastian Alcantar and Jorge Gonzalez, but new contributors are coming out of the woodwork. Health is a key factor.
- 3. Dos Pueblos: Coming off a fourth-place finish last year, AJ Pateras’ Chargers will be competitive.
- 4. Royal: Can a drop into the Tri-County League and another year of experience in head coach Adam Brubaker’s system prove beneficial for the Highlanders?
- 5. Hueneme: Development at quarterback and a revamped strength and conditioning system could be the jolt the Vikings need.
- 6. San Marcos: Graduating 23 seniors from a 44-man roster last season should put the Royals in rebuilding mode.
Dominic Massimino is a staff writer for The Star. He can be reached at dominic.massimino@vcstar.com. For more coverage, follow @vcsdominic on Twitter and Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: All you need to know about Tri-County League football for 2026
