High school football preview: Twentynine Palms Wildcats

This year's 29 Palms team is ready to fight, compete, and stay together for their upcoming 2024-25 season.

"This team has a lot of blood and sweat and tears on this field, and I think we're going to show that this season," Wildcats senior defensive end and right tackle Charles Ell said.

After finishing 1-9 last season, the Wildcats want to change the narrative and rise back to the top. 

"We're going to be the underdogs this year," Wildcats senior wide receiver and defensive back Jaden Mcnealty said. "We're going to have a lot of touchdowns, a lot of blocks, a lot of games won."

Competing in a tough DVL league, 29 Palms' goal is to compete with every team until the final whistle. 

"Our goals, really, as far as competing goes, is just to match everybody's energy," Wildcats head coach Eric Tili said. "We want to stick together as a team. We believe that if we're a unit, we can compete with anybody. "

Along with matching the other team's energy, the Wildcats also want to extend their season past ten games.

"To get to 14 games to the CIF championship. That's our goal this year," Wildcats senior wide receiver and defensive back Mcnealty said.

As their first league game is against the Desert Mirage Rams, the Wildcats can't wait to start the season. 

"This team will be one that sticks together," Wildcats head coach Tili said. "We've been young over the last few years, and we're growing up. We're a junior-heavy team, and we look forward to competing in the DVL with everyone that we're playing against." 

Stay with KESQ News Channel 3 for continuing coverage of high school sports throughout the season.