Meet the new boss. Different from the old boss, but not too much so from a former boss.
Jake Nossaman will be Ignacio High School football’s new boss, taking over this fall for a retired Alfonso Garcia.
“I never have ‘quit’ coaching; I’ve either continued to coach in either YAFL or some way, shape or form with the kids,” Nossaman said. “So I’d like to think that I’m a little more mature; I was pretty young when I started my first tenure coaching the Bobcats. So I think I’ve matured, been seasoned a little more.”
Nossaman led Ignacio from 2003 to 2006, but left to raise his family. He never lost his love for the game, coaching and looks forward to working with the group that Garcia left the program with. Working with a reloaded staff of assistants (10-year veteran Bill Gwinn and 19-year veteran Lupe Huerta both followed Garcia to retirement this year), Nossaman hopes to continue some of the traditions that the team has and sustain a strong football program by bringing in numbers and young players.
Although any young blood will certainly be welcome for IHS’ 2025 campaign, Nossaman will lean hard on a battle-hardened senior class. IHS is anchored offensively by quarterback Zane Pontine, fullback/running back Lincoln deKay and receiver Gabe Archuleta, among others.
“I’m super proud of them for transitioning from last year into this year,” Nossaman said about the senior class. “It’s going to help the younger kids develop too; that leadership just helps you grow even quicker, and also helps with freshmen coming in – having role models who already know the system. (They’re) a great group of athletes and a great group of guys; we have high expectations for them.”
Ignacio will kick off Nossaman’s return season at home at Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. against nonconference 1A Manual, seeking payback for last year’s 22-19 loss in Denver. The Thunderbolts finished 5-4 overall last year and 2-2 in League 6.
The Bobcats finished last season 4-5 overall and 3-2 in the 1A South Central.
“It’s Zero Week, but … they come here,” said Nossaman. “That was a good, competitive game (last year); we made a few errors there, otherwise we might have been in the win column. But it was the first game and you’re going to expect to make a few errors. But it’s a good school, and good competition.”
The Bobcats will then travel to Cedaredge (6-3 overall, 3-2 1A Western Slope in 2024) on Aug. 29 for a 6 p.m. start against the Bruins, who won 29-20 last year at IHS Field.
After recharging during the first week of September, Nossaman’s crew will resume competition Sept. 12, at home against Olathe (2-6, 0-5 Western Slope), with kickoff set for 7 p.m.
Nonconference work then continues on the 19th when Bayfield comes to town to rekindle the Pine River Rivalry renewed in ’24, when BHS (4-5, 1-4 2A Intermountain) pulled out a 38-35 win inside Wolverine Country Stadium.
After another week off the last week of September, IHS will begin South Central Conference play at 1 p.m. Oct. 4, against heavyweight Centauri. Trinidad then visits on the 10th, before Ignacio concludes regular season play with trips to Center (10/17, 7 p.m.), reigning SCC champ Monte Vista (10/24, 6 p.m.) and Del Norte (10/31, 7 p.m.).
“It all kind of starts a little early, but also having a couple breaks in there – a couple bye weeks – helps us recover and get people healthy … if we have those injuries we tend to get,” Nossaman said about the schedule. “But that’s small-school football; you typically have a pretty big difference between your starting guys and your developing guys,” he continued. “So we’ve been hitting the weight room four days a week, Monday through Thursday–Friday, Saturday and Sunday are family days – to try to stay ready to go.”
Nossaman has always been intimately involved with the Bobcats and football. He graduated from IHS in 1998, with his son Kendrick committed to playing football at NAIA college Kansas Wesleyan and his other son Tyce suiting up for his junior year at IHS. Nossaman indicated a dream to one day return Ignacio Football to its highest heights, while aware that IHS has not experienced postseason play since Huerta’s 2008 and 2009 ’Cats reached CHSAA’s Class 1A State Playoffs.
“I’m just hoping to … carry on the tradition and get back to the winning we had in the late ‘80s and see football thrive in this small town,” Nossaman said. “I’m just super proud to be a part of it. Love being a Bobcat!”
LONG MEMORY: Including an insane 60-42 win over Bayfield, Nossaman’s 2003 Bobcats finished 5-4 overall.
Nossaman’s first tenure as coach ended on a high note. Powered by QB Scott Hill, RB Ryan Neil and WR Derek Rodriguez, IHS closed out ’06 winning a shootout at then-SPC member Mancos, 43-35.
