The Guards open the year at 7 p.m. Friday with a Zero Week game against Saddleback Valley Christian at Junipero Serra High in San Juan Capistrano.
While the Guards are ranked No. 4 in the CIF Southern Section Northeast Division preseason poll, Saddleback is No. 5 in the division.
With their opponent far away from the fires in south Orange County, Aguirre said that gives the Lions an advantage.
“I doubt that they have missed any of their practices,” he said. “But we are just going to have to deal with the situation.
“Because we’re not outside, we are brushing up a lot on the mental aspect of our game, so that we can be prepared.”
Because the Guards play a week before many other teams begin their season, they will get a bye week late in October.
Bell-Jeff lost its share of impact players to graduation, and Aguirre has been moving some athletes into new positions. To make matters worse, the squad will be missing three key athletes for its opener.
Despite the hardships, Aguirre said he is confident he has a solid group of players who are poised to have a successful season.
“I’m excited, and I can’t wait for us to get going,” Aguirre said.
Bell-Jeff (8-4 in 2008) was the most successful area football team last year. The Guards placed second in the Santa Fe League and advanced to the playoff quarterfinals.
The Guards defeated Fairmont Prep, 28-21, to earn their first postseason win in more than 50 years. Bell-Jeff fell in the quarterfinals to Linfield Christian, 26-0.
