PAL Ocean: San Mateo

2019 season opener: El Camino at San Mateo, 7 p.m. Friday

Key returners: Luke Bergstrom (sr., QB/LB); Shadi Qobti (jr, OL/DL); Michael Vendel (sr., WR/DB); Dane Anderson (jr., RB/DB); Lucas Castillo (jr., RB/LB); Soane Kolokihakaufisi (jr, OL/DL).

Key newcomers: Angel Cruz (jr., OL/LB); Aidan Harper (sr., RB/LB); Marco Martin (jr., RB/DB).

Outlook: The Bearcats installed a new offense in 2018, only to lose their starting quarterback in the fourth game of the season.

Now with Luke Bergstrom healthy and in command of the triple-option offense and a number of players with a year of experience under their belts, head coach Jeff Scheller is hoping the Bearcats can take a step forward from last season’s 3-7 mark.

“We’re really excited. … Last year, it was about transitioning to this new offense,” Scheller said. “This year, we’re spending less time talking about our scheme and more about the opponent.”

Bergstrom showed what could have been. He returned for the Bearcats’ season finale against rival Burlingame and led San Mateo on a 10-minute drive. That gave him a good springboard to this season.

“He’s been making some really good reads with our triple option over the summer,” Scheller said.

More than anything, Scheller is excited about the versatility of this year’s squad. While the Bearcats have only a handful of returning starters, they have plenty of players who saw significant action and will now be moving into starting roles — albeit at different positions.

“We definitely have a lot of different, interchangeable parts which has created competition,” Scheller said. “One of my concerns is you’re not getting reps all the time at one position.”

Senior wide receiver Michael Vendel and junior running back Dane Anderson were both in their first seasons of football in 2018, but Anderson proved a standout athlete as he played varsity football, basketball and baseball as a sophomore.

Scheller expects them to be difference makers in 2019.

“[Vendel] has become a real student of the game. … He’ll be a weapon we can use on the outside,” Scheller said. “[Anderson has] a lot of natural ability. … Dane has to be on the field.”

Lucas Castillo and Aiden Harper will be part of the running game as well.

The lines look set with a pair of returners in juniors Shadi Qobti and Soane Kolokihakaufisi, along with newcomer Angel Cruz.

“We didn’t expect [Qobti] to be on varsity (in 2018). … He just took a leadership role,” Scheller said. “[Cruz was] a JV guy last year, but probably could have been at the varsity level.”

Kevin Pelaez will anchor the defense from his linebacker spot as he moves from the outside to the inside for 2019.

Overall, Scheller is just happy to see that this year’s team seems to have bought into the system and believes that they have the right mindset to be successful.

“They are so unselfish. They are a joy to coach,” Scheller said. “They just want to win. They don’t care who gets the credits. They don’t care whose playing where.”