San Antonio Taft Raiders

Head Coach: Ricky Stade (9th season; 47-41 record)

Last Season: 4-6; 3-5 in district

Returning Lettermen: 14 (5 returning starters on offense; one on defense)

Taft Key Players and Storylines

Taft doesn’t have to look far for motivation this year. Last season, the Raiders missed the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

There will be plenty of new faces taking that challenge head on this year after Taft graduated 16 starters.

The offense still has a good foundation with three linemen who weigh over 300 pounds, including 6’3″, 305-pound senior Jacob Soto, who is a three-year letterman, and 6’3″, 335-pound guard Preston Soto. That stability up front will be big for first-year starting quarterback Jacoby Nelson. He’ll also benefit from promising junior receiver Terry Johnson as one of his top targets.

Junior full szn highlights
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6’3”#OLP @cjvidaurri @CoachFalcon210 @CoachDGarcia15 pic.twitter.com/jB4v5t1CKq

— jacob soto (@dat_turf_beast) December 9, 2025

Defensively, the Raiders will be virtually rolling out a brand-new unit with just a single starter returning. They’ll have double trouble up front with twin defensive linemen Neiel Gibussa and Nick Gibussa. Head coach Ricky Stade expects them to cause problems with their speed.

On the back end, junior safety Julian Martinez is a ballhawk who can also come up and make tackles.

A year ago, the Raiders lost four of their five district games by a touchdown or less. Even though they may be inexperienced this year, Stade has told his players they have to find a way to win those close games as they look for an instant return to the playoffs.

Taft Raiders 2026 Football Schedule

*Denotes District 29-6A Contest