Welcome to our 2023 high school football previews! We’ll be giving you a look at several local teams leading up to the start of the season. Today’s feature is the Klamath Union Pelicans. Don’t forget to check out our Henley Hornets preview too.
At a glance
Head coach: Rob Clifford (first season)
Classification: 4A
League: Special District 4
2022 record: 2-7 (1-5 SD4)
Playoffs: Did not qualify
Returning starters: 7 offensive, 6 defensive
State championships: None
Season outlook
Rob Clifford knows what a winning culture looks like.
Over the course of a football career that’s taken him from his native Hawaii to stops up and down the West Coast, Klamath Union’s new leader has played under two coaches who took their programs from obscurity to national relevance.
In high school, Clifford starred at Mater Dei (Calif.), where he graduated as the school’s all-time leading rusher with 2,432 yards (he now ranks fourth). His senior season was the first at Mater Dei for legendary coach Bruce Rollinson, who turned the Monarchs into a national power before retiring in 2022.
In college, Clifford (who also went by Kealii) played at Oregon under Rich Brooks, who left as the Ducks’ all-time winningest coach after leading them to their first-ever outright conference title in 1994.
Now, Clifford has a chance to apply what he learned from his former coaches as he looks to turn around a Klamath Union program that’s gone 5-25 since its last playoff appearance in 2018, marking one of the worst four-year stretches in school history.
“That’s the big thing, changing the culture, making the kids accountable…and making this more of a brotherhood,” Clifford said. “They have to be accountable for their actions…there’s no one bigger than the team.”
If not handled properly, a new coach’s efforts to change a team’s culture can cause friction with returning players (see: Deion Sanders at Colorado), but early reviews of Clifford’s approach have been overwhelmingly positive.
“It’s been great,” senior running back and linebacker Jett Johnson said. “The energy is ecstatic.”
“It’s very free and open, very positive,” senior quarterback Lamar Cuellar said.
“He’s really put us together in the right mindset,” senior offensive and defensive lineman Jamar Cuellar (Lamar’s twin brother) said.
The Pelicans’ numbers this year have reflected the change in atmosphere. Clifford estimates there were about 20 players on last season’s varsity team; now, there are about 30, with new additions continuing to trickle in.
Despite the newfound optimism surrounding the program, Clifford isn’t aiming for an immediate reversal of fortune.
“Baby steps,” Clifford said. “My thing is winning one more game than we did the year before.”
Take it from Rich Brooks, who won 24 games in his first seven seasons at Oregon: building a winner takes time.
Looking at Klamath Union’s schedule, Clifford’s goal of three wins seems attainable. They host Etna (Calif.), which has an enrollment of less than 200 students, to open the season. In Special District 4, the Pelicans beat Hidden Valley 10-8 and lost to Ashland 39-36 last year.
The talent is there, too. Jamar Cuellar, who holds an offer from Linfield, recorded 83 tackles and led 4A with a mind-blowing 40 TFLs and 18 sacks last season. Lamar Cuellar also put up strong numbers despite missing almost half the season, amassing more than 1,000 total yards with 10 touchdowns in five games.
The Pelicans will also bring in an explosive athlete to replace all-state wide receiver Tony Ortiz (now at Papago Pumas JUCO): Tony Matheney, who placed second in the long jump and eighth in the triple jump at the 4A state championships last spring and is being heavily recruited by college programs.
Even though he’s still new to Klamath Union, Clifford has been active in guiding his players through the recruiting process.
“I went through it myself because I played D-I,” Clifford said. “So I’m trying to tell them…which way to go, what to do, what questions to ask, and who to respond to and how to respond.”
Spending that much time helping players he’ll only coach for one season shows Clifford’s desire to see his players succeed in all of their endeavors. It’s a big reason they’ve bought into his philosophy so quickly.
“[He] puts so much more effort in than any coach that I’ve ever met before,” Johnson said. “He’s somebody that I can rely on, and I really appreciate it.”
To hear more from Rob Clifford, Jett Johnson and the Cuellar twins, check out the extended interview highlights on our YouTube page!
Players to watch
Jamar Cuellar, OL/DL, senior
- Division III offer from Linfield
- Led 4A with 40 TFLs and 18 sacks in 2022…recorded 83 total tackles
- Named captain for 2023 (second season)
- Also plays baseball
Lamar Cuellar, QB, senior
- Played five games in 2022
- Passed for 963 yards and 8 touchdowns with an 82.3% completion percentage
- Rushed for 184 yards and 2 touchdowns
- Named captain for 2023
Jose Morales, OL/DL, senior
- Named captain for 2023
Tildon Coffman, QB/DB, sophomore
- Named captain for 2023
- Athleticism has stood out
Tony Matheney, WR, senior
- Three-sport athlete…also plays basketball and runs track
- Attracting heavy interest from college track programs
- Placed second in long jump (20’ 8.5) and eighth in triple jump (39’ 5.25) at 4A state championships in 2023
Liam Garrett, RB/LB, senior
- Three-sport athlete…also plays basketball and runs track
Jett Johnson, RB/LB, senior
- Three-sport athlete…also competes in wrestling and shot put
Malcolm Lassett-Hankins, RB/LB, junior
- Three-sport athlete…also plays basketball and runs track
Schedule
All games at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted
* denotes non-league games
*Sept. 1 vs Etna (Calif.)
*Sept. 9 vs La Grande (@ Crook County HS) 5 p.m.
Sept. 15 @ Hidden Valley
Sept. 22 @ Marshfield
Sept. 29 vs North Bend
Oct. 6 vs Henley
Oct. 13 @ Mazama
*Oct. 20 vs Philomath
Oct. 27 vs Ashland