It may be a different McLane High football team in 2026, but the expectations haven’t changed under head coach Andrew Pancotti.
“We’re back-to-back league champions,” Pancotti said. “No one’s gonna just overlook McLane anymore.”
When Pancotti took over the program in 2021, he made it clear he wanted to build a winning culture and keep the Highlanders relevant.
Five years later, he has done exactly that.
McLane is coming off one of the best seasons in school history, finishing 11-1 in 2025 while scoring a school-record number of points. Pancotti enters the new season with a 40-18 career record.
The challenge now is replacing a talented senior class and key transfers.
Quarterback Vernon Lacy transferred to Edison, while standout wide receiver Julyen Scott moved to Clovis West.
McLane also graduated several impact defenders, including Demetrius Simon, leaving significant holes on both sides of the ball.
Still, Pancotti believes the Highlanders are ready for the next chapter.
Rather than rebuilding, McLane is reloading with homegrown talent.
The offense will be built around 6-foot-2 running back Juan Raygoza, whose physical running style has drawn comparisons to former San Joaquin Memorial and Fresno State standout Brandon Ramirez. Sophomore James Tello will take over at quarterback.
The offensive philosophy will also look different.
“We’re gonna be a different team this year,” Pancotti said. “We’re not gonna be an air-it-out-the-ball type team this year. We’re gonna be more of a run team.”
That shift puts added emphasis on McLane’s defense, particularly a defensive line anchored by Noah Bridges.
Pancotti isn’t expecting this year’s defense to mirror last season’s unit, but he believes it can continue the program’s defensive tradition.
“We can’t replace what we had last year. That was crazy,” Pancotti said. “It’s a different year.”
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Anthony Galaviz writes about breaking news/sports for The Fresno Bee. He covers the Las Vegas Raiders, high schools, boxing, MMA and junior colleges. He’s been with The Bee since 1997 and attended Fresno City College before graduating from Fresno State with a major in journalism and a minor in criminology.
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