With Russ Edwards returning for a second stint as head coach, the Nipomo football team is looking toward its 2025 campaign.
The Titans will come in as the defending Ocean League champions. Under third-year coach Stephen Field, Nipomo swept through the Ocean League at 4-0 last year. The Titans finished 6-5-1 overall and went out in the quarterfinals of the CIF Central Section Division 4 Playoffs.
Field left to take the head coaching job at Arroyo Grande, his alma mater. Edwards, Field’s defensive coordinator the past three seasons, stepped in to be Nipomo’s head coach for a second time.
Edwards is Nipomo’s current veteran athletic director. He was Nipomo’s head football coach from 2007-14, and his 2014 squad won the CIF Southern Section Northwest Division championship. Nipomo joined the Central Section in 2017.
“I’m not completely sure what our offense is going to be like, but it’s going to be very different than it was last year,” said Nipomo senior running back Nick Evans. Evans is the reigning Ocean League Offensive Player of the Year and Times All-Area Football Team MVP. A lot of Nipomo’s offense last year went through him. Evans averaged 109.4 yards a game rushing last year.
“We’re going to try to be more balanced this year, like the 2014 offense was,” said Evans. Nipomo averaged 36 points a game that year, and quarterback Matt Albright threw for 3,204 yards and 33 touchdowns. Nick Kimball was on the receiving end of 21 touchdown passes. Meanwhile, Chris Owens rushed for 1,403 yards and 19 touchdowns. Owens averaged 100.2 rushing yards a game.
Nipomo was a good defensive team in 2014. The Titans gave up 17-plus points a game. This year, the bulk of Nipomo’s experience is on defense. The unit has eight returning starters, including senior linebacker Troy Simonson, the 2024 Ocean League Defensive MVP.
“This is the deepest defense we’ve had since I’ve been here,” said Simonson, who is about to enter his third season on the Nipomo varsity. “Everyone is buying in, and we feel the defense can be even better than it was last year.”
Senior linebacker Evan Doll is about to enter his third year on the Nipomo varsity and his second year as a starter.
“100 percent, I think we can repeat as league champion,” said Doll. “All my brothers are here, and we’ve all been putting in the grind. We’ve very focused.”
Edwards said, “With eight defensive starters returning, I feel we’ll be pretty good out of the gate defensively.”
Edwards said Blayne Lowry, a junior this year who was Nipomo’s starting quarterback the past two seasons, has moved to Paso Robles.
“Hopefully whoever the new quarterback is can step in quickly, and the offense can catch up to the defense pretty quickly,” said Edwards.    Â
Here’s a look at the Titans at a glance
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Coach:Â Russ Edwards. Edwards returns as head coach after being Nipomo’s head coach from 2007-14.
2024 record:Â 6-5-1 (4-0 Ocean League). Nipomo went out in the quarterfinals of the CIF Central Section Division 4 playoffs.
2025 season opener: Home vs. Lompoc, Aug. 22, 7 p.m.
Quarterback:Â There is an open competition for the position between senior Griffin Groshart, sophomore Sam Gutierrez and senior Scott Litvinchuk. Groshart was the quarterback his freshman season.
Returning starters on offense
Evans, Peyton Blume, Jr., offensive line; Jaydan Tesoro, junior, offensive line; Travis Barr, Sr., tight end; Jeremiah Wheeler, Sr., wide receiver.
Returning starters on defense
Simonson; Dodd; Groshart, linebacker; Koen Price, Sr., defensive line; Elijah Quezada, Sr., defensive line; Jacob Goldsbary, Sr., linebacker; Trevor Oxley, Sr., defensive back; Logan Hobbs, Sr., defensive back.
Joseph Huitron, Sr., running back/linebacker.
Key losses from 2024 team
Blayne Lowry, quarterback; Emi Toledo, offensive line; Ethan Ortiz, offensive line; Juan Zarate, free safety/punter/kicker.
Punter:Â Nipomo’s punter is not set as yet.
Kicker: Nipomo’s kicker is not set as yet.    Â