No. 94 Pacifica-Oxnard 2026 Football Preview | Top 25 Public HSFB
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2026 Public Schools Top 100 Preview: No. 94 Pacifica (Oxnard)
The Tritons return a 4,000-yard quarterback, with 12 returning players coming off of a 15-win season.
Top 25 Public HSFB8/18/20266 min read
Pacifica-Oxnard reached a CIF State bowl for the second straight season and came home without the final trophy. The Tritons finished 15-1, won CIF Southern Section Division 3 and the Southern California Division 1-A regional, then lost 42-28 to Central East in the state final.
The response is not a rebuild. Coach Mike Moon reports seven offensive starters and five defensive starters back, including a 4,000-yard quarterback, three proven receivers and two linebackers who combined for 383 tackles. Pacifica’s championship question is concentrated where Moon put it: “If we figure out our front, we're going to be really good this year.”
Team Snapshot
Head coach: Mike Moon
2025 record: 15-1
2025 finish: CIF-SS Division 3 champion; Southern California Division 1-A champion; CIF State Division 1-A runner-up
Returning starters: Seven on offense, five on defense
2026 T25PS ranking: No. 94
First game: Aug. 21 vs. Del Sol
An Offense Built Around Proven Production
Senior quarterback Taylor Lee completed 244 of 367 passes for 4,059 yards and 53 touchdowns last season. He also added 327 rushing yards and five scores. Pacifica does not need to guess whether Lee can carry volume; it needs to keep him clean enough to distribute the ball to one of California’s deeper public-school skill groups.
Senior Anthony Jacobs Jr. caught 54 passes for 1,202 yards and 14 touchdowns. Junior Will Jones Jr. added 44 catches for 629 yards and 10 scores, while senior Alijah Royster led the team with 18 total touchdowns. Senior Isaiah Phelps gives the offense a physical counter after rushing for 979 yards and 11 touchdowns while also leading the defense.
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The concern is the front. Pacifica graduated J’Den Wingo and other important linemen from the group that played 16 games. Junior Anthony Loreto is a coach-identified two-way lineman with an FBS offer, but he cannot replace the entire rotation alone. How quickly the new blockers develop will decide whether Lee’s returning production translates into the same postseason ceiling.
Two Linebackers Set the Defensive Standard
Phelps recorded 232 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, four sacks, 14 quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles in 2025. Philip “PeeWee” Wilson III added 151 tackles despite missing five games after transferring. Together they give Pacifica a level of experienced linebacker production that most opponents cannot match.
Junior Jamarcus Harmon is the coach’s featured returner in the secondary. He started all 16 games, made 40 tackles and broke up 10 passes. The front must replace graduated production, but the Tritons will not be teaching their defense from scratch with Phelps, Wilson and Harmon operating behind it.
Recruiting and Coach-Selected Players
Isaiah Phelps, LB/RB, Sr. (2027): Phelps committed to San Diego State in May after receiving offers from programs across the Power Four and Group of Five levels. His 232 tackles and 979 rushing yards make him more than a recruiting headline.
Taylor Lee, QB, Sr. (2027): Lee holds offers from Cal Poly, Sacramento State, Northern Arizona, Toledo and Portland State after producing 4,059 passing yards and 53 touchdowns.
Philip “PeeWee” Wilson III, LB, Sr. (2027): Wilson’s current Division I list includes Cal Poly, SMU, Sacramento State, Boise State, Northern Arizona, Oregon State, San Jose State, Texas State, Air Force and Nevada, among others.
Alijah Royster, ATH, Sr. (2027): Royster holds offers from Sacramento State, Northern Arizona, Portland State and Colorado State. Moon listed him among Pacifica’s four key returners.
Will Jones Jr., WR, Jr. (2028): Jones holds offers from Boston College, Utah and Oregon State after a 10-touchdown sophomore season.
Anthony Jacobs Jr., WR/DB, Sr. (2027): Moon reports two Division I offers for Jacobs. His 1,202 receiving yards and verified 10.81-second 100-meter speed explain why his role extends beyond recruiting status.
Anthony Loreto, OL/DL, Jr. (2028): Moon reports an FBS offer for the two-way lineman. Loreto is one of the most important coach-selected players because Pacifica’s largest roster question is the front.
Jamarcus Harmon, DB/RB, Jr. (2028): Harmon does not have a publicly identified Division I offer, but Moon specifically placed him among the players to watch after 40 tackles and 10 pass breakups.
What the Graduated Class Leaves Behind
Moon identified Deville Warner, Juju Hernandez and J’Den Wingo as the central graduation losses. Warner signed with Eastern Washington and Hernandez with Western New Mexico. Their departures matter because Pacifica returns so much production everywhere else; the missing experience is concentrated in the exact area that must protect Lee and hold up against the strongest teams on the schedule.
Schedule Breakdown
Pacifica opens with Del Sol and Lincoln at home before consecutive road games at Hart and Highland. After an open week, the Tritons visit Sierra Canyon on Sept. 25. That is the strongest nonleague test, while Lincoln will also show how far this team has come in the trenches early in the year.
Marmonte League play begins against Oaks Christian and continues through Newbury Park, Bishop Diego, St. Bonaventure and Simi Valley.
Complete 2026 Schedule
Aug. 21: vs. Del Sol
Aug. 28: vs. Lincoln (San Diego)
Sept. 4: at Hart
Sept. 11: at Highland
Sept. 25: at Sierra Canyon
Oct. 2: vs. Oaks Christian
Oct. 9: at Newbury Park
Oct. 16: at Bishop Diego
Oct. 23: vs. St. Bonaventure
Oct. 30: vs. Simi Valley
Biggest Question
Can Pacifica rebuild both fronts without wasting the production returning behind them?
Lee, Jacobs, Jones, Royster and Phelps give the offense answers at every skill position. Phelps, Wilson and Harmon do the same on defense. The line is the one part of the team where the returning résumé does not already explain the ceiling, and the Sierra Canyon game arrives before league play gives Pacifica any room to hide that weakness.
Bottom Line
Pacifica has the personnel to reach a third consecutive CIF State bowl. The stronger claim, that it can finally win that game, depends on Loreto and the new front becoming reliable enough to support an offense and linebacker group already proven over a 16-game season. Moon’s stated goal is a state-title win, and the roster justifies it without making the line question disappear.
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I have Pacifica finishing the regular season 9-1. The Tritons have enough offensive production and defensive experience to remain one of the better public-school teams in California, but the line rebuild and having Sierra Canyon in the regular season will be the one game that trips them up... all year. I have them avenging last years lost and beating Central East in the D1-A State title.
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