By Tim Peterson
(El Monte) – Jesse Ceniceros has stepped down as the head football coach at El Monte after three seasons sources confirmed Thursday.
Ceniceros led the Lions to the CIF and State Championships in 2019. Ceniceros, who was the head coach at Norwalk and then at Chino for two years, took over at El Monte in 2017. The Lions went 5-5 in 2017 but that was just the beginning of huge things to come.
In 2018 El Monte won the Mission Valley League title with a 5-0 record and went 10-2 overall. The Lions beat St. Pius X and Fairmont Prep in the CIF Division 13 playoffs before falling to Adelanto 54-40 in the Semi Finals.
In 2019 Ceniceros guided the Lions to a historical season. El Monte once again won the MVL with a perfect record with huge wins along the way. The Lions beat Rosemead 59-24 and South El Monte 45-14 while rolling to a league crown.
In the Division 12 playoffs they racked up 60 points in consecutive wins over Nordhoff and Ocean View before beating Jurupa Hills 22-15 in what turned out to be the CIF title game when the two teams in the other semi final game were eliminated due to a brawl.
El Monte went on to the State Tournament and put an exclamation point on the memorable year by knocking out Serra at home and routing Del Norte 32-7 on the road in Crescent City for the State championship.
El Monte didn’t play in 2020 due to COVID-19 as the District decided to cancel all Fall sports.
Ceniceros had an overall record of 30-7 in his three years at the helm and a post season mark of 7-1 to go with a CIF and a State championship. It’s the best run ever in school history and one that may never be duplicated.
El Monte will reportedly name an current assistant to step into the head coaching role for 2021.
Ceniceros cited personal reasons and the need to spend time with his family as the primary reasons for his resignation. He didn’t rule out the possibility of coaching again.
Coach Cen was the best thing to happen to El Monte. Sadly they did not see the value he brought to not just the school, but to that city. To bad for El Monte High School and El Monte as a whole. Can not wait to hear which lucky school gets him. I know schools are already lining up. I am 100% certain that coach will also get to design that ring at his next school. TTX
transfers and fund raising money ? keeps following Ceniceros…
To the people talking trash about transfer ..sit down ..y’all ain’t crying when other programs do the same DELETED…de la sale… matter dei …etc etc…a division 12 school does it with a few players and y’all start crying ..
#YouWishPeopleGaveYouCreditForWinningState
Every year someone wins state and usually gets props. Everyone knows what happened at EM. C walked because he knew that without transfers he was going to suck. Cry me a river. You guys know it too. Stop acting like you guys were so oppressed there. He say the writing on the wall. He couldn’t handle going 5-5 without transfers.
Before you run your mouth, It’s important to know the details. We could meet for coffee if you like!
Tough to say he did anything right after abandoning the team when things look to be tough. Nobody likes to lose. He was going to take his lumps after losing the boys he brought in. A real man/coach stays but he took the easy way out. It’s hilarious how coach C and his coaches come on here to defend themselves. All the shortcuts the school took the past three years cost them today. Only the school and players will suffer.
Weak suace he quit on the team.
We’d all be signing a different tune if that one kid was homegrown but the fact is they went out and recruited him. This guy is nothing without transfers. That’s why he’s walking. Spare me!!!
At end of the day it’s not EMHS Football fault that their ONE transfer in better then your whole team. Step your Coaching game up, because all I hear is one Kid (Davon Booth) beat your team by himself. LOL a wise man said “PLAY DEFENSE” and maybe the outcome would of been different (highly doubt it) so in others word coaches get better so one kid don’t beat y’all!!!
Coach C is gone he resigned before he got fired. Word is he left the district.
Take away transfers and EM never wins state. Let’s be real. The EM staff loves coming on here to defend themselves. Spare me the other nonsense.
Who did you want them to hire? When the head coach quits on the team after they already started practicing for the season you have no choice but to promote somebody already on board to fill in the interim.
El Monte hires new football coach Calderon to replace the greatest football coach El Monte high has ever had and the loser is the kids of El Monte But the new coach is exactly what Torres wants in a coach that won’t fight for his kids a yes sir man…….I understand he quit on the team and kids after just one year they say he couldn’t take the pressure so …..El Monte parents you lose again ! Parents fight for your kids demand answers from your school district……… and school Board !!!!
From T. Peterson: I spoke to the El Monte AD. This isn’t true. They haven’t hired anybody. They have to fly the position first and they are in the process of doing that now. Nobody has been hired.
Tell em STATE CHAMPS, that’s a fact that no one wants to talk about
This proves Newton’s Law that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. If you are successful and people like you there are an equal amount of people that will hate you for it.
9-3 then 4-7… or are you just picking and choosing years?
Chino High type run? 2015 Ceniceros leads Chino to it’s first deep playoff run in several years. 9-3 to be exact. Lost to a stacked Summit team by three points. Last time I checked, two playoff appearances in two seasons isn’t too bad.
Chino? 2015 Ceniceros led team goes 9-3 and loses to Summit in the quarterfinals by three points. First deep playoff run in several years. What you talking about?
That’s what happens where there is no booth or Penny left in the world to keep it going. Unless you want another Chino high type run.
@WooHoo
You mean no more transfers to EM and back to the old days where all transfers goes to ARROYO and nobody says anything. But it’s only a problem when the HC at EM doesn’t have a similar last name like the Arroyo Coach smh
The truth is that EM got a new principal by title only ,and the district got a new Superintendent Torres she is not just the head of personal she now controls the EM school district . EM Board members don’t be naïve to the flexing of her power . Over Her ex student the so-called superintendent talk about nepotism It could cost the district BIG ……. Some day !!
You do realize where the old one is?
@ Check the date
The old principal is the HR Manager and still makes decisions at EMHS behind the scenes.
You all do realize their has been a new principal since the start of the last school year that has already ended.
People in the know, like me, know that the real reason was totally driven by administration and their lack of support. I mean he brought a CIF/Regional/State title to the school and he still has to practically beg for certain things. The ring comment about not being able to design the championship rings was totally true. He wasn’t even allowed to pick which ring company to go with. At any other district, he would be allowed to bring in his choice of coaches and be afforded a lot more freedoms just because of his track record. Not here… go figure. He’ll end up at another school in a year, turn that program around, an EM will go back to mediocre status at best.
Not surprised Coach didn’t want any part of El Monte without transfers. Let’s face it, he’s only as good as his transfers.
Typical EMHS they get a good thing and squander it away. Lol
I’m hearing the principal was the “personal reason” and those who have dealt with her know exactly why that is lol.
Well in the famous words of Townie “ Oh No We Suck Again” ahahahahahahah
Teacher
Was he a walk on or is he also a teacher at EM?
You mean not good transfers. Trust me there’s some every year.
Before you start spreading fake news, post the real reason!
No more transfers and back to a neighborhood league
He was a proponent of not playing last year and the district already has planned playing this fall. Him leaving this close to season sucks for the kids because there is no way to make a real new hire so close to season. I guess without Booth there wasn’t much of an appeal to coach the local kids anymore.
By far the worst principal to work with in the district. I had a few words with coach after the state championship and the principal would not let him designed the state championship ring, she wanted to design it and did.
Coach will land on his feet and El Monte will be back to 2-8 and 1-9 seasons. Thanks coach for a great experience. Best wishes.
The entire league just released a huge sigh of relief
Stories will circulate about the “real” reason for this man’s departure, but my hunch is that, yes, the administration was dragging their feet on whether or not a regular season of Lions football would happen this fall. There comes a time when a man just has to say “enough” and walk away from such bureaucratic nonsense. If Cineceros is gone from this school for good, the suits have nobody to blame but themselves.
My kids wanted to play their years of high school with coach Ceniceros and now because of admin and former admin it’s probably going to go back to how it was average at best. He brought a pride to a city that hasn’t had much in a long time.
Thank you coach Ceniceros I hope everything works out for you and see you back on the sidelines