West Ranch wants to build its football program to the point where it can reload, not rebuild.

The junior varsity team reached the top of the Foothill League in 2009.

This season will determine whether or not they can stay there.

“I’m very proud that we created a buzz,” said JV head coach Mike Miller. “Keeping that buzz, that’s going to be a tougher challenge. Staying on top is definitely harder than getting there.”

The JV Wildcats, who are all sophomores, head into 2010 with a standout at quarterback.

Miller has high praise for signal-caller Gerrit Mouw, whose mechanics have impressed the coaching staff in preseason camp.

“This kid is absolutely the real deal,” Miller said. “He’s probably a potential Division I quarterback.”

Miller added that the team will probably call pass plays 60 percent of the time on offense to take advantage of Mouw’s arm.

Andrew Eichten, the younger brother of varsity starting quarterback Connor Eichten, will serve as the team’s backup quarterback.

But his real value is at linebacker.

“As soon as we put pads on, he started hitting the snot out of people,” Miller said.

The younger Eichten will be joined in the linebacking corps by Miguel Alvarado and Fabulous Darley.

Miller said Alvarado is a natural leader and the main guy to take charge when needed.

Darley, meanwhile, is a different kind of animal.

“He’s what I call my shark, my rover linebacker,” Miller said. “He’s lights out, a great open-field tackler.”

Miller described linebacker Dylan Deffenbaugh as his best open-field tackler, and Deffenbaugh will also anchor the offensive line and try to give Mouw time.

“He’s undersized for an offensive lineman but probably my best offensive lineman,” Miller said.

In addition to losing key players from last year’s team, several standouts from the 2009 freshman team have bypassed the JV team and moved up to varsity.

But Miller is confident his team can further the Wildcats’ success.

“We’ve got a great core of kids,” he said. “We feel we have more talent than last year, definitely. We just hope we have the heart we had last year.”