For 37 players on the Wildcat varsity football team preparing for the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) playoff opener against Palos Verde High School on Nov. 8, their journey to a 10-0 record — their best in 23 years — and a Kappa League championship, didn’t begin when they first pulled on jerseys at Brea Olinda High School, but rather a decade earlier as members of the city’s Pop Warner youth football program.

The story of this record-setting season began on the fields of the Brea Sports Park 11 years ago when 18 of this year’s seniors started their football careers as Tiny Mites; continued as teammates on a Pee Wee squad that went 11-1 and won the Orange Bowl, a season-ending championship that determines the best youth program in Orange County, in 2019; then here, in Wildcat Stadium, on the eve of their quest for their first CIF championship since 2001.

Brea’s Pop Warner teams have played a significant role in the growth of the BOHS football program.

Since BOHS is the only high school in the Brea Olinda Unified School District (BOUSD), the majority of the athletes who play for the Brea Pop Warner teams eventually make the Wildcats’ frosh-soph, junior varsity, and varsity rosters in high school. 

“Without Pop Warner, there is no high school football,” Jay Leuvanos (’92), varsity running back and Pop Warner coach, said.

Pop Warner, founded in 1929, is a non-profit organization that serves to increase youth participation in football. To allow every interested child a chance to play, Pop Warner doesn’t hold tryouts, meaning everyone receives a spot on a team. By not keeping track of individual stats, the program promotes teamwork, not individual accolades, and encourages members to strive to win for the team, not for themselves.

“Playing Pop Warner made us good men and taught us how to be a good teammate,” varsity wide receiver, Brandon Elder (’25), said. Elder played in the Brea Pop Warner program for six years.  

According to Luevanos, the life lessons that Pop Warner teaches its young athletes are: “How to handle pressure, teamwork scenarios, how to win or lose with dignity and pride, [and] how to be confident and humble.”

Varsity defensive back and Pop Warner veteran Jullian Robinson (’25) said, “Football helps teach us about life and creates strong bonds we will always have.” 

Playing Pop Warner, which fields teams for five- to seven-year olds (Tiny Mites) to 12- to 15-year olds (Varsity), provides players valuable experience before transitioning to high school competition. The league emphasizes fundaments like physical conditioning, teamwork, discipline, mentorship, safety, and even academic achievement.

Cullen Doyle (’25), two-year varsity starter at quarterback and former Pop Warner player, acknowledged the influence of the league on his varsity success. “[Pop Warner] gave me an advantage coming into high school because I already learned the basics of the sport and my position,” Doyle said.

“Brea Pop Warner aims to prepare young athletes not just for high school football, but for success in all aspects of their lives,” Eric Mason, president of Brea Pop Warner, said.

For the 37 athletes currently in the Wildcat football program who participated in Pop Warner, the preparation that Mason alludes to is big reason why varsity enjoyed its best season since 2001.

“I learned early on the rules and feel for the game,” offensive guard Jack Cornejo (’25) said. “You get used to the equipment and how it feels to get hit. Most kids are scared to hit when they start tackle football so conquering that fear early puts you in a better spot in high school.”

Varsity head coach Justin Villasenor, in his first year at the helm of the program, acknowledged Pop Warner’s impact: “When [athletes] play Pop Warner, it really helps our program.”

Luevanos, the running back coach for the Wildcats, was the head coach of the Pop Warner team that won the Orange Bowl in 2019 and has been coaching members of the current Wildcat football team since they were seven. 

The varsity team’s success this season has been especially gratifying for Luevanos.

“It’s been an incredible journey with these guys, from barely being able to get up off the ground with their helmets on, to seeing them as young men full of determination and passion,” Luevanos said.

Because the players have competed for coaches who first taught them the game as rookies in Pop Warner and now coach them as young adults in the Wildcats’ varsity program, bonds are deep-rooted and enduring. 

“Coach [Luevanos] prepared us for high school. He made us strong young men,” Sean Mason (’25), defensive tackle, said.

Villasenor also has deep connections to the Pop Warner program.

“Coach V,” as is known to his players, played for his father Raul Villasenor’s  Pop Warner teams in La Mirada while growing up.

“I grew up with my dad’s stories of his football team and games,” Villasenor said. “That experience started my love with football, and I dreamed of playing, just like my dad.” 

(After his son, Justin, was named L.A. Chargers Coach of the Week on Oct. 24, Raul Villasenor, said, “[My son] has always been determined and focused on whatever he puts his hands to. Great job, son. We are all proud of you!”)

When new players enter the Wildcat program, coaches have to learn their athlete’s playing style, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. But for those players who began their careers in Pop Warner, however, Wildcat coaches are already familiar with their skills.

“[Already] knowing the coaching staff helps us prepare for high school football,” Elder said.

Villasenor acknowledged the effect playing Pop Warner has on his athletes from his own experiences playing in the youth league.

“The experience that I gained playing Pop Warner helped me to become a better football player when I got to high school,” Villaseno said. “Not only did I learn the game of football but I gained lifelong friendships that I still have today.”  

This season, the football program experienced sweeping change, from being placed in a new league, to a head coaching change, from Jae Kim, who went 5-6 in his lone season at the helm, to long-time lower-level head coach and varsity assistant Villasenor.

What did not change, however, was a roster of players who have been competing together for 10 years.

“[Pop Warner] created a bond between all of us and really made us like brothers,” Robinson said.

Wide receiver Isaak Rivas-Melendez (’25) claims Pop Warner, “keep[s] a certain group of guys together which creates a bond, but it also allows kids to develop the right way of playing football.”

Playing with the same teammates from Tiny Mite to Pee Wee to high school varsity also has strategic benefits.

“Playing with my teammates in Pop Warner gives us a major advantage because we’ve known each other for so long and we know each other’s playing style,” Doyle said.

Trust plays a large role in the success of a football team.

“Football is such a team sport, you have to rely on your teammates to do their job,” Villasenor said. “Trusting your teammates is one of the most important parts of having a really good team.” 

That trust is evident in this year’s 10-0 team. The offensive line, which is made up of mostly Pop Warner veterans, has only allowed eight sacks, versus BOHS’s 47 sacks against opposing teams.

Doyle’s primary target this season is Brandon Elder who has been on the receiving end of his quarterback’s passes since their days playing Saturday morning Pop Warner games at the Sports Park.

Defensive ends Jake Brooks (’25) and Miles Tyree (’25) have been creating chaos on defense since they were teammates in the Pop Warner program. Brooks has 15 sacks and an interception this season, and Tyree who has 13 quarterback hurries and five sacks.

Winning the Orange Bowl in 2019 “was an unforgettable moment” according to wide receiver Addison Altermatt (‘25).

The 9-12-year old Pee Wee Brea Pop Warner team finished their regular season with an 11-1 record, earning them the opportunity to compete in a bowl game and for the title of Orange County’s top youth football team.

Their opponent was Santa Margarita, whom they had already played, and beaten.

But the win wasn’t guaranteed.

“Santa Margarita was one of the hardest teams [we played], so to beat them two times was basically unheard of,” Eric Mason said.

Brea defeated Santa Margarita for the second time that season, 14-8. 

Eric Mason compares varsity’s current championship season to that 2019 Orange Bowl campaign. “These boys have played together for years and brought it together to accomplish a championship as a team,” he said.

Current Wildcats that played on the Orange Bowl team are: Austin Elder (‘27), Brandon Elder (‘25), Sean Mason (‘25), Troy Lagraffe (‘26), Jason Luevanos (‘26), Vincent King (‘25), Jacob Bryant (‘26), Joshua Patton (‘25), Jonothan Ruiz (‘25), Luke Carren (‘26), Addison Altermatt (‘25).

Eric Mason described that 2019 season as, “a testament to what can be achieved when a group [of] dedicated individuals come together to pursue a common goal. It’s a story of hard work, camaraderie, and success that will be remembered for years to come.”

Luevanos added, “That season is one they’ll never forget.”