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Miramonte High School

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Football Clay Kallam, Executive Editor, The Orinda News

Experienced roster ready to defend Miramonte’s NCS championship

Experienced roster ready to defend Miramonte's NCS championship
July 27, 2026
By: Clay Kallam, Executive Editor, The Orinda News

  It's year three for coach Nick Safir, and he's set a high bar: In his second season, the Matadors won the North Coast Section (NCS) Division 5 championship, coming from 14-0 down against a heavily favored Hayward team with the starting quarterback and top running back both out with injuries.
    But now Miramonte isn't sneaking up on anyone, and in addition, the Mats must play one of the toughest schedules in all of NCS.
    Safir, though, is confident in his group.
    "We finally got over the hump against Hayward," he said, and on top of that, those young players who had to step in because of injuries have now been through the fire of postseason.
    "To have to come in and start five games at the beginning of November, with a broken finger, to start in those high-stress games …" That's Safir talking about junior quarterback Lane Dalton, who has earned the confidence of the players and coaches after that late-season run.
    "He's taken charge of the offense," Safir added. "Everybody has relaxed and bought into him."
    Dalton's ability to see the whole field and spread the ball around will be especially important this year, as Safir has a deep wide receiving corps that will put pressure on opposing defenses.
    "This group will surprise people," said Safir, as there's lots of depth behind returning standout George Gilbert – including Parker Bjornson, Michael Fagundes, Colton Bernstein and Tre Murphy.
    Jonah Imberg, who emerged with 124 yards in the win over Hayward, returns, and though he doesn't have the size of a prototypical lead back, he has both speed and grit.
    "He never complains," said Safir. "And he's so explosive."
    Harrison Feusier will also see plenty of snaps in the backfield, as one definite advantage Miramonte has this year as opposed to previous seasons is a much larger roster.
    In Safir's first season, he only had 25 varsity players, and the junior varsity team was at about the same number. And there was no frosh team.
    Safir added a frosh team last year, and could have as many as 40 varsity players this fall, which cuts down on the number of two-way starters and allows the staff to adjust to the inevitable injuries.
    That depth is especially important in the trenches, as rotating players is crucial to keeping them fresh and healthy.
    For example, the Mats have four returning starters in the offensive line, but unlike last season, none are expected to start on the defensive side. That means Jack White, Brooks Butler, Dave Greenstone and Jackson Thompson can focus on offense, but also provide a boost on defense when needed.
    Ben Romweber and Cooper Buster will be able to spend all their energy on the defensive line, and Safir is also optimistic that younger players are going to step up and claim starting spots.
    Tres Buster will anchor a solid linebacking corps, and Henry Hunt, Gilbert and Feusier will carry the load in the defensive backfield.
    One big hole to fill is kicker, as James Rogers handled both punting and placekicking at an elite level. There are plenty of candidates, however, including Julian Salter, who transferred to Miramonte from De La Salle, and will be eligible after sitting out for five games.
    And when football players start transferring from De La Salle to Miramonte, it shows that the program is being taken seriously – and that the 2025 NCS Division 5 title might only be a first step.

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Players Mentioned

Harrison Feusier

#6 Harrison Feusier

RB, S
5' 10"
Junior
James Rogers

#7 James Rogers

K, P
6' 2"
Senior
George Gilbert

#9 George Gilbert

WR, FS
5' 10"
Junior
Tres Buster

#13 Tres Buster

MLB, TE
5' 11"
Junior
Henry Hunt

#14 Henry Hunt

WR, CB
6' 0"
Junior
Jonah Imberg

#21 Jonah Imberg

RB, CB
5' 7"
Junior
Jack White

#53 Jack White

OT, DT
6' 0"
Junior
Brooks Butler

#56 Brooks Butler

C, DT
5' 10"
Junior
Parker Bjornson

#3 Parker Bjornson

WR, DB
Sophomore
Tre Murphy

#5 Tre Murphy

WR, CB
Sophomore
Lane Dalton

#7 Lane Dalton

QB
Sophomore
Michael Fagundes

#23 Michael Fagundes

RB, WR, LB
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Harrison Feusier

#6 Harrison Feusier

5' 10"
Junior
RB, S
James Rogers

#7 James Rogers

6' 2"
Senior
K, P
George Gilbert

#9 George Gilbert

5' 10"
Junior
WR, FS
Tres Buster

#13 Tres Buster

5' 11"
Junior
MLB, TE
Henry Hunt

#14 Henry Hunt

6' 0"
Junior
WR, CB
Jonah Imberg

#21 Jonah Imberg

5' 7"
Junior
RB, CB
Jack White

#53 Jack White

6' 0"
Junior
OT, DT
Brooks Butler

#56 Brooks Butler

5' 10"
Junior
C, DT
Parker Bjornson

#3 Parker Bjornson

Sophomore
WR, DB
Tre Murphy

#5 Tre Murphy

Sophomore
WR, CB
Lane Dalton

#7 Lane Dalton

Sophomore
QB
Michael Fagundes

#23 Michael Fagundes

Sophomore
RB, WR, LB

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