Duarte football coach Sergio Gradilla stayed the course through some tough times for the program. Now he is hoping this season will be a payoff for all of the team’s hard work, and a reward for the players who stayed with the team through it all.

This is Gradilla’s eighth season in charge. The low point was probably during the worst of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Falcons did not field a team in 2020 and they played only two games in the fall 2021 season due to low participation.

“We had a ton of seniors coming back and then COVID hit (in 2020) and we canceled the season,” Gradilla said. “It was going to be a big year for us. I felt for those guys. It was a big hit to our program.”

In 2021, the Falcons played their first two games but didn’t have enough players to finish the season.

Two players who stuck it out after that were freshmen at the time, Avenn Ortiz and receiver Jashion Wade. They are now seniors and key players for the Falcons, who are undefeated (5-0) as they head into Miramonte League play Friday at Ganesha (1-4).

Ortiz has been one of the area’s best dual-threat quarterbacks. He has thrown for 1,215 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 303 yards per game. Ortiz also leads the team in rushing with 356 yards.

“He’s a four-year starter and I’m so proud of him, he has improved every year,” Gradilla said. “He struggled his freshman year, but last season we saw him take a big jump and as the summer progressed, he took it to another level. He’s just an athlete than can get out of the pocket and extend plays. He had close to 1,000 yards rushing last season, so he has those capabilities.”

Wade is the team’s top receiver with 20 receptions for 440 yards, and he’s also a focal point on defense at linebacker.

“Jashion is a key part to all of this,” Gradilla said. “He’s a hard guy to bring down once he gets the ball and is a key part of what we do defensively.”

Senior Alex Perez is another four-year starter who has seen it all. He has 16 receptions for 386 yards.

“He plays in the slot for us and is real shifty,” Gradilla added about Perez. “He’s getting touchdowns all over the place and has a few interceptions too.”

While Gradilla is happy with the progress and the team’s undefeated start, he realizes the Falcons haven’t played a tough schedule. Their biggest win came in the season opener when they beat Azusa, 38-20.

Last season Duarte won the three-team Montview League, having to beat Azusa and Workman twice to win the league title. They were hammered by Whittier Christian, 41-14, in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 14 playoffs.

The Falcons are hoping they learned from last year’s quick playoff exit. They’re also counting on the maturity of their seniors.

“This is our year,” Gradilla said. “I didn’t get to finish with the first group of seniors that I had during COVID, so it has been (rewarding) to watch this next group grow with the program, and have this success and this opportunity.”

Now in the Miramonte League, the Falcons will be challenged. La Puente, which beat them last year, is also 5-0, and Ganesha and Bassett are usually tough.

“No disrespect to teams we played (in nonleague), three of them weren’t very good,” Gradilla said. “It all starts on Friday and it’s going to be a battle. With the exception of Workman, every week will be tough with teams like Ganesha, Bassett, Garey and La Puente. We have to play well.”