The 2026 senior class, the first of its kind in school history, will always be remembered for setting the tone for Kathleen MacDonald High School. And as far as the football program, nobody could have expected a better tone to be set when the school opened its doors four years ago. 

A culmination of four years of camaraderie under the same Head Coach, Burt Codera, the team blossomed beautifully in their final season, setting off into the graduation sunset with an incredible 9-1 record. Like most football teams, the MacDonald Condors were led by star players like quarterback Moussa Fall, wide receiver Ethan Bugarin, and tailbacks John Leonard and Isiah Tela, but they were much more than that. Every one of the aforementioned players would immediately admit the team was built in the trenches, the foundations of the team being senior linemen like captains Darey Villamar, Aaron Xu and Boston Olivarez.   

All told, the Condors featured 20 seniors on this year’s team. Rounding out the 2026 class of football players were Siaosi Hautau, Pablo Guzman, Nate Pulickial, John Centeno, Brandon Medina Mejia, Treyvon Vincent, Dominic Ortega, Philip Terry Jr., Carlos Hernandez Romero, Champion Ortega, Diego Tellez and Kush Patel.

“We have a lot to be proud of, a lot to be happy about and to celebrate,” chimed coach Codera after his squad finished off the season with a 27-21 victory over Saratoga. “Going 9-1 is not an easy task, especially being brand new with our situation. Definitely proud to be able to reflect on this season.” 

MacDonald opened the season by beating the only B-division team on their schedule in the Santa Clara Bruins. That first-week win spurred hopes of going undefeated against C-league competition the rest of the way. While the Condors came up just short with a week-six loss against Jefferson, the team didn’t allow the one stumble to bring it down; MacDonald finished off the season on a four-game winning streak. 

“The team did such a great job; we didn’t let that one loss affect nothing,” noted coach Codera.

In speaking with this newspaper, coach Codera wanted to make sure he shouted out this special senior class. 

“I wanted to say thank you to the senior class for laying down the foundation of the program and having to kind of be the guinea pigs of it. They did a really good job of it, having success and doing the right things on campus,” said Codera. “You know they had to sacrifice; they had to go through trials and tribulations. Ultimately, they did a good job laying down that foundation for many years to come. Winning in football resonates with the community, and it creates a lot of pride for the school. It makes kids proud to go to MacDonald and be a part of what we are building.”

The seniors were just as thankful to Codera and the rest of the coaching staff after the victory in the season finale. 

“I knew we were gonna win some games, but I didn’t know we were going to go 9-1,” chuckled Villamar. “I’m very proud of the coaching staff for believing in the team and coaching us to the best of their ability.” 

“What we had this season was really special,” added Leonard. “We ended on a good note with a strong record thanks to both our amazing coaches and players. I believe our program will continue to grow moving forward. It’s still only the beginning for MacDonald.”