Gerardo Garibay is three months into his tenure as Philomath High School’s boys soccer coach, and if Thursday’s home jamboree was any indication, the culture he inherited is one he’s happy to build on.
“Something I noticed right away is that they’re here to work,” Garibay said when asked what he’s learned since taking over the program. “They’re athletes. I brought in new ideas, new drills, and every time they’re like, ‘Let’s get to work.’ They listen, and I think there’s a really good sports culture here in Philomath that I’m glad I get to be a part of.”
Garibay, who spent nine years on the coaching staff at Central High before being hired in June, takes over a program that went 8-4-2 last season and finished No. 9 in the final OSAA rankings — yet missed the playoffs after going 4-4-2 in a brutal Oregon West Conference.
He replaces Dave Ellis, who led the Warriors from 2017 to 2025 and won a state championship in 2021.
“There’s a lot of things that are already great,” Garibay said. “Philomath’s had great success, and I want to build a whole program.”
Garibay noted the roster currently sits at 24 athletes — 12 on varsity and 12 on junior varsity — and said growing those numbers to support full rosters at both levels is a priority.
Philomath returns a couple of its top weapons in senior Jacob Hernandez and junior Sammy Hernandez, both first-team all-conference selections last season as underclassmen.
“I think it’s just experience and leadership,” Garibay said about them. “They’re both actually captains this year, and I think that’s something that is going to help the team tremendously because they demand a lot from themselves, but they also kind of demand that from their teammates and help them be better and push them to work.”
Garibay has been experimenting with Jacob Hernandez at two positions — he played forward in one jamboree game and center back in the other — as the staff sorts out its best lineup. If Hernandez settles in at center back, junior Dreyton Nuño is in line to start at forward.
Senior Esias Sapp, another team captain, has also shifted into a new role at center back.
“He’s kind of controlling the whole line there, so that’s a new position for him, and he’s doing great,” Garibay said.
Junior Archer Schroeder is set to anchor the midfield as Philomath’s lone holding midfielder in the formation Garibay plans to run.
“He’ll be huge for us this year with the formation we’re playing,” Garibay said. “He’s our only six — second defensive midfielder — so he’s got double the responsibility he had last year and kind of holding it down and recovering the ball for us.”
Two underclassmen have also caught the coaching staff’s eye in the preseason, including freshman Skyler Wilson.
“He’s going to be a great addition to the team,” Garibay said. “He’s got lots of experience already playing at the club level, very competitive. So he’s going to be a great addition, and he’s fitting right in with those experienced players.”
Sophomore Oliver Demasi has also been a preseason standout.
“He’s definitely going to play an outside position for us, whether it’s outside back or winger,” Garibay said. “But he’s the fastest guy out there, and that says a lot with the athletes that we have on the team.”
Garibay’s lone assistant so far is Triston Wallen, a former player from Garibay’s first coaching stop.
“He was actually one of my players from the first team I ever coached, and he reached out and asked if he could help,” Garibay said. “He was a great kid, and I’m glad to have him out here.” As of this past Thursday, Garibay was in the process of interviewing candidates for a junior varsity coaching position.
Every nonleague game on Philomath’s schedule is on the road this year, starting Tuesday at Marist Catholic before the Warriors head to the Bend Soccer Showcase for games against Ontario and Baker. Trips to Dallas and Molalla follow before Philomath opens conference play at home against Newport on Sept. 24.
The road slate will also set up a reunion of sorts later in the season. Central, Garibay’s longtime program, has rejoined the OWC and is back on Philomath’s schedule for the first time since 2013. But for now, Garibay said his focus is squarely on the season opener.
“We’re focused on preseason right now,” Garibay said. “We’ve got Marist and Ontario, which are both ranked in the top 10, for our first two games. So we’re focused there first.”
Asked what a successful first season would look like beyond wins and losses, Garibay pointed to culture.
“I really want to set the foundation going forward,” he said. “Team culture is going to be huge, and that’s what I’m leaning on. The Esias’s, the Jacob’s, those leaders to set the culture that we want for the incoming freshmen and the group for years to come … a program that students want to be a part of, the culture that we want to set that’s positive and sets them up for success on the field and even in the classroom.”
PHS SCHEDULE
Sept. 1 — at Marist Catholic, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 4 — Ontario (at Bend), 5 p.m.
Sept. 5 — Baker (at Bend), 9 a.m.
Sept. 15 — at Dallas, 7 p.m.
Sept. 17 — at Molalla, 6 p.m.
Sept. 24 — Newport, 4 p.m.
Sept. 29 — at Taft, 6 p.m.
Oct. 1 — Cascade, 4 p.m.
Oct. 6 — Central, 4 p.m.
Oct. 8 — at Stayton, 6 p.m.
Oct. 13 — at Newport, 7 p.m.
Oct. 15 — Taft, 6 p.m.
Oct. 20 — at Cascade, 4:30 p.m.
Oct. 22 — at Central, 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 27 — Stayton, 3:30 p.m.
PHS ROSTER
Seniors (4) — Kayden Boynton, Cameron Herbert, Jacob Hernandez, Esias Sapp
Juniors (6) — Andrew Arguelles, Tonalli Brambilla Boatner, Sammy Hernandez, Dreyton Nuño, Archer Schroeder, Quinn Wood
Sophomores (5) — Evan Bennett, Oliver Demasi, Ryan Herbert, John Mecham, Andrew Sims
Freshmen (9) — Fernando Aceves, Cooper Dwyer, Breason Grigsby, Dominic Kapp-Carroll, Toby Muravez, Wilson Schroeder, Jasper Turner, Finn Warren, Skyler Wilson
