. Warrior football players go through conditioning and technique drills during spring football practice under the direction
of head coach Kris Krempien. (Photo by Vicky Shea, The Tehachapi News.)
Posted May 11, 2025 by the Tehachapi News. Football Readies To Break The Rock
In Prep For Upcoming 2025 Season
The final days of the school year are coming to an end, which means it is time for the
official start of strength and conditioning for next season’s Warrior football athletes.
The theme for the program this year is "Break the Rock," with an emphasis that preparation
is the key for success.
“It is not the final strike of the rock that finally does it in and breaks it; it is
the combination of all of the reps before that,” said varsity head coach Kris Krempien. “The idea is
to show up every day and keep pounding and eventually we will break the rock.”
Heading into next season, Tehachapi will again be a member of the South Yosemite Mountain League, where they have enjoyed
a dominant run as three-time champions in 2022, 2023 and 2024. However, the CIF Central Section recently
announced that success comes with a price. Tehachapi will be bumped up a base division from Division III
to Division II, and with that, very stiff competition will come in the playoffs this upcoming November.
“Being placed in Division II is a struggle and we know and understand that. But this is
the position we put ourselves in (due to past season’s success). We can sit around and mope about it or we can embrace
it,” added Krempien. “This is the program we have become. We just need to take it head on.”
Practice in helmets and full pads will not come until later this summer. Right now,
the Warriors are looking to get their bodies conditioned and ready.
“Defensively, our linebacker corps will be strong. Most of those guys are returning and there is a lot of
speed at that position with a lot of tackles made last year,” Krempien said. “Offensively, we are returning our quarterback
and we are looking for him to step into that leadership role and set the standard so the rest of the guys can follow his lead.”
Returning players from last season’s varsity squad will include Austin Tripodi (RB, DB), Jr. Alaniz (TE, LB, DE),
Thaddeus Dyer (WR, LB), Tylere Lombardi (RB, LB), Colton Michael (QB, DB), Mason Rothermel (RB, LB), Conner Rothermel (RB, DB), Roland Pina (RB,>
LB), Austin Rolow (RB, LB), Dillon Hauck (RB, LB), Devin Mason (RB, LB), Russell Clayton (WR, DB), Tristan Smith (RB, LB),
Ethan Kent (OL, DL), Oliver Masferrer (OL, DL), Jacob Meza (OL, LB), Emmett Williams (OL, DL), Peyton Popejoy (OL, DL),
Kody Lantz (OL, DL), Harley Aranda (OL, DL), Derek Olmscheid (OL, DL), Uzziel Navarrete (OL, DL) and Kane Harding (OL, DL).
Tehachapi is losing 24 seniors from last year’s team, but along with returners, there will be new faces emerging from the underclassmen ranks.
“We know this year will be a bit of a process with all of the pieces we lost,” Krempien said.
“We need to work on our size and strength. Breaking in the new guys and have them prepared for the physicality
and a greater sense of urgency going from JV to varsity.”
New players coming into the fold will include a multitude of junior varsity standout athletes such as Conner Jenkins,
Connor Craig, Kyle Shipp, Carson Snell, Isaiah Bachara, Lasa Hemphill, Kane Harding, Daniel Lambrecht, Jackson Robinson,
Noah Davis and Ivan Madueno their varsity counterparts, the junior varsity Warriors are coming off a third-straight
season where they finished as the South Yosemite Mountain League champions.
“Right now, we just want to prep their body for the demands of the season. Increase their speed,
strength and durability and understand who they are now and keep growing on that,” Krempien said. “Our off-season is not the
end of training. We are going to keep going so they are at their strongest by the end of the season.”
Assisting Krempien in the varsity and junior varsity coaching ranks this upcoming season will
be Mike Ledesma, Larry Root, Jason Hail, Ryan Grimes, Chris Jones, Rondey Michael, Bruce Schkade,
Hans Lambrecht, Richard Barela, Robert Grell, Luis Sedano, Josh Jelleschitz, Patrick Hoofard, Shaun Rolow and Chris Bowman.
