Young Palm Desert Aztecs Ready to Prove Experience Isn’t Everything

The Palm Desert High School Aztecs are just days away from opening the 2026 football season, and despite having one of their youngest teams in recent memory, expectations remain high.

Palm Desert is coming off a successful 2025 campaign, finishing with a 9-4 overall record and sharing the league championship with Palm Springs High School. The Aztecs also made a historic playoff run, reaching the semifinals for the first time in 15 years.

This season, however, head coach Rudy Forti will have to rely heavily on younger players after more than 30 seniors graduated.

“We knew it was going to be a young team,” Forti said. “We had over 30 seniors graduate, so it was kind of tough to figure out who we have coming back and who we're going to put where.”

With so many new faces, Forti says developing those players will be key. The coaching staff will have the responsibility of helping freshmen, sophomores and juniors grow into bigger roles throughout the season.

For some of the returning juniors, that process has already started.

After spending last season behind an experienced senior class, one junior says he is ready to embrace a leadership role and become someone younger players can look up to both on and off the field.

The expectations are high following last year's playoff success, and the Aztecs aren't shying away from those goals.

“We made a playoff run. First time in 15 years, we made it to the semifinals. Hoping to do that again,” the player said.

One of the young players expected to make an impact is freshman middle linebacker Ryker Rushton.

For Rushton, the season is about more than football. He says he wants to continue developing as both an athlete and a person while learning how to become a leader.

Despite the team's youth, Rushton believes the Aztecs can compete for another league championship.

“I expect us to go all out, 100% every play,” Rushton said. “These coaches have high expectations for us. Our players, we have high expectations for ourselves.”

Palm Desert will look to build on last year's success while proving that a young roster doesn't necessarily mean lower expectations.

With returning players stepping into leadership roles and freshmen like Rushton ready to contribute, the Aztecs believe they have what it takes to compete for another league title and make another deep playoff run.

And as the Friday night lights return, NBC Palm Springs is also giving local fans a chance to get involved. This season, viewers can submit their best high school football highlights for the weekly NBC Top 5 Plays, leading to a Top 3 that fans can vote on Sunday night.

The student whose play is voted No. 1 will take home a $250 cash prize.

For the Palm Desert Aztecs, the mission is simple: embrace the youth, play with confidence and prove they are ready for another big season.