Moorpark’s Wilford Joins Coaching Staff at Pierce

Ron Wilford, whose Moorpark High football team set a Ventura County record with 19 consecutive victories, has resigned as coach and will become an assistant at Pierce College under Coach David Banuelos.

Moorpark won the Southern Section Division X championship in 1997, winning 13 games after a season-opening loss. The Musketeers extended the streak by winning their first six games last season, the school’s first in the Marmonte League.

Although Moorpark lost its last five games, including a first-round Division IV playoff game, Wilford posted a record of 23-13 in three seasons.

Wilford, who will remain a teacher at Moorpark, will be an offensive coach at Pierce, working primarily with the line. Banuelos was a student teacher at Moorpark in 1997 and became close to Wilford.

“We talked quite a bit of football when he was here,” Wilford said. “It’s been a goal of mine to get to the college level, and when he offered me a position on his staff, I couldn’t turn it down.”

Jeff Dewey, the Moorpark offensive coordinator, and Fran Fredette, the defensive coordinator, also are stepping down. Wilford believes Fredette would make an excellent head coach, but Athletic Director Rob Dearborn said Fredette wants to focus on building the school’s wrestling program and will coach the freshman football team.

“Moorpark is a great place to coach,” Wilford said. “The administration, the booster club and the community were nothing but good to me. I spent a tough couple of weeks making this decision.”

Dearborn, Moorpark’s football coach for eight years before Wilford took over, said the time isn’t right for him to return to coaching.

“Not that the thought hasn’t crossed my mind,” he said. “I miss being a head football coach, but I’ve got four children and I’m going to school. I’m going to coach my son at the youth level right now.”

Dearborn’s attention will be on replacing Wilford and at least one of the departed assistants.

“We need to find at least two key people,” Dearborn said. “There are 10 teaching openings, so we have some flexibility.”