Returning the Core: 4A Teams Bringing Back Most Firepower — Pt. 1

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you're looking for the easiest way to spot teams that can make a real jump next fall, start with <strong>returning production + a returning quarterback.</strong> It doesn't guarantee anything — high school football is still chaotic, kids still grow three inches overnight, and schedules can flip a season fast — but continuity matters. When the guy under center is back and the pieces around him aren't starting from scratch, you usually get cleaner football earlier in the year. So, this series is all about the programs that bring back the most of their offense <em>and</em> the QB to run it. Part 1 starts with a team that will head into 2026 with 91% of their offensive yards from this past season back on the roster.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">St. Mary's (91% Returning Production)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Luke Horn","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2028","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2409","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"St. Mary's Catholic","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69656b954a35e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Luke Horn's tape looks like a quarterback who's already playing the position with some real maturity. The deep ball is the first thing that jumps out — especially outside the numbers — because it's not just “big arm,” it's touch, timing, and placement that keeps receivers running through the catch. He'll work through progressions without getting stuck on his first look, and I like that he doesn't panic and turn into a runner the second the picture isn't perfect. When the pocket is clean, he'll take it, hang in there, and deliver on schedule — which is a fancy way of saying he's not out here sprinting into pressure for no reason. The ceiling for next year is obvious: if St. Mary's keeps letting it fly, Horn has the kind of accuracy and rhythm to level up into one of the more dependable passers in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Branson Brown","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2408","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"St. Mary's Catholic","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69656b954a42e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Branson Brown is the kind of back coaches love because he runs like he understands the whole play, not just his lane. He's patient — genuinely patient — willing to sit behind his blocks and let the defense show their hand before he hits the gas. There's some twitch there, but the best part is he doesn't waste it; he saves it for the right moment so he stays on track and keeps the run alive. He takes contact well, too — not easy to knock him off his path — and that strong base shows up when defenders try to arm-tackle him and he just keeps rolling. He's not the biggest dude, but he's well-rounded, and he can track and catch the ball when they ask him to be part of the passing game. Looking ahead, he's set up to be that steady back that can really help this offense to stay balanced.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2101852"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69656b954a485"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='2101852' first='Anthony' last='Cannon'] is straight-up speed, but what makes him scary is that it's not only “run past you” speed — he's dangerous during the route and after the catch, which is a difference-maker. A lot of wideouts are one or the other; Cannon can win at the top, stack DBs, and then still turn a screen into a chunk play. The concentration is real, too — contested catches don't look like circus luck, they look like a guy who knows where the ball is, where his body is, and how to finish through contact. That awareness shows up in the way he tracks it and fights for it even when a DB thinks he's in-phase. If defenses start rolling coverage his way next year, the question becomes who else steps up — because Cannon already looks like the type that forces coordinators to draw up a plan specifically for him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Walden Grove (72% Returning Production)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Sebastian Gallardo","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2408","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Walden Grove","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69656b954a518"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Sebastian Gallardo runs with a really slick feel for space — that quick step after his change of direction jumps out right away, and he pairs it with a toughness that shows up through contact. He's quick, but he's not living off pure top-end speed; instead, he wins by being smart. He gets defenders leaning the wrong way, manipulates open space, and forces bad angles that turn routine plays into extra yardage. A lot of his best runs don't even look flashy at first — the hole isn't huge, the block isn't perfect — and then all of a sudden it's 13 yards instead of 3 because he hit one quick burst and kept his feet moving. That's the kind of back that quietly wears a defense down, because he's constantly stealing yardage you didn't think was there. Gallardo fits perfectly as the make-you-miss, keep-the-chains-moving guy who turns one clean cut into a chunk and keeps a really dangerous backfield humming.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Dominic Sanchez","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2411","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Walden Grove","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69656b954a5c0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Dominic Sanchez is a defensive lineman who somehow got permission to carry the ball from way farther out than just the goal line. He's a big, athletic monster who's an obvious problem to bring down, and when he gets his pads under you, you can catch a quck 15-yard ride on his back. Listed at 6'1", 205, but I'd bet he's a little taller and a lot heavier than that — because on film, he looks huge, and he moves like it. He's exactly what you want in short yardage, but he's not limited to just falling forward at the sticks; he's got real athleticism for a dude built like that. Next year, if Walden Grove stays committed to sharing the wealth, Sanchez is the tone-setter — the guy that makes defenses make business decisions in the fourth quarter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Gauge Abalos","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2409","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Walden Grove","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69656b954a664"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Gauge Abalos is really comfortable on the move, and he's dangerous with his legs in a way that immediately forces defenses to play honest. His quick feet show up constantly — extending plays, buying time, and punishing you the second you lose contain — and that mobility is a huge reason the whole offense works the way it does, because it turns the run game into a constant numbers problem. You can feel the stress he puts on a defense even when he doesn't have the ball, because linebackers hesitate and edges widen just a little bit. The next step for him is trusting what he's seeing and trusting his arm enough to cut it loose. He reads the field well and you can see him recognize windows, but there are moments where it looks like he's thinking about the throw instead of just ripping it. If he takes that leap next season, this offense goes from “hard to deal with” to true pick-your-poison territory — because now you're defending a deep backfield <em>and</em> a quarterback who's confident enough to make you truly pay through the air.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->