SDHS Upcoming Dynamic Duo Kye Cooper and Delontay Williams and New Head Coach
Stephen Cooper for the San Diego high school football season.
By Dominick Espalin
San Diego – May 2026
San Diego High School is the oldest high school in San Diego history, and being part of the community while currently attending the school is an amazing experience. The support system is incredible, with outstanding alumni, teachers, and students. Although San Diego High has not always received the recognition it deserves, the school has recently gained more attention because of its rapidly improving sports programs.
More specifically, the San Diego Cavers football team has made huge playoff runs over the past two years, reaching the semifinals both seasons. During that time, several players broke records. One standout achievement came from Kye Cooper, who set the record for the most kick return touchdowns in a single game by scoring six kick returns. That accomplishment helped put the Cavers on the map.
I had the opportunity to interview Cooper about how he feels heading into his senior year at San Diego High, while also learning more about his background and where his football journey began. During the interview, I wanted to learn about his time before San Diego High, how it all started at St. Augustine High School, and what it was like being a top athlete in San Diego.
I asked him, “How was it being a student at Saints as an incoming freshman, and what was it like being part of the football team there?”
Kye responded, “Being a student at St. Augustine High School was a very fun experience for me. We had pep rallies every week and Mass on Wednesdays. Education-wise, it was sometimes a struggle for me and a couple of my teammates, but overall, it was a great experience being at that school.”
I also asked him about winning a CIF championship during his freshman year and what it took for the team to achieve that goal.
“It took a lot of hard work from our team,” Kye explained. “We had a lot of talented players, including Honor Falave, a five-star recruit, along with me, Jaden Johnson, and a couple of other players who are now at San Diego High School. It took a strong work ethic, team bonding, and spending a lot of time together to get where we did at the end of the season, which was winning a CIF championship.”
Cooper is not only a great player, but also a wonderful person off the field. He is always giving back to the community and trying to be the best person he can be, not just for himself but for the community as well. Cooper is a standout role model and a great leader for his team both on and off the field, much like his father, Stephen Cooper.
Kye has had the opportunity to play football alongside his father as a coach since he was little. Now that he is in high school, his father has continued coaching him. When Kye made the transition to San Diego High School Cavers, his father also joined the coaching staff as the defensive coordinator for the Cavers.
Stephen Cooper is a former NFL player and former captain of the San Diego Chargers, now known as the Los Angeles Chargers. Before coming to San Diego High, Cooper was originally the defensive coordinator for the St. Augustine High School football team. He came to San Diego High to coach his son and help build the community for the Cavers football program.
A big reason why Kye and his father made the transition to San Diego High was because his older brother, Jayden Wickware, was a former player for the Cavers and was a standout athlete on and off the field. Jayden now plays college football.
As I dug deeper into the Cooper family story, the previous head coach of the Cavers was released from the program, and the school began searching for a new head coach. That person ended up being Stephen Cooper. This is Coach Coop’s first time serving as the head coach of a high school football team. Throughout his career, Coop has always been recognized as a great leader who shows the ability to help young athletes become better players and better people both on and off the field.
As I continued learning more about Coach Coop, I got the opportunity to interview him about how he feels about getting the head coach position, what he looks forward to in the future, his plans for the Cavers over the next few years, and what he brings to the table as a head coach.
Coop, “Getting the head coach position means a lot to me honestly. It’s a blessing and a huge opportunity to come in and lead a program with so much history like the San Diego High School Cavers. I’m excited for the future because I see a lot of potential in these players and in this community. What I’m looking forward to the most is building a strong culture, creating discipline, and helping these young men grow both on and off the field.
Over the next couple years, my plan is to build a competitive program that people
respect. I want the Cavers to be known for hard work, toughness, accountability, and teamwork. We’re going to focus on player development, academics, and building leaders, not just football players. I want these kids to have opportunities to succeed in life no matter where football takes them.
As a head coach, I bring experience, leadership, and passion. Playing in the NFL taught me what it takes to compete at the highest level, and I want to bring that mindset here. I’m going to push these players to be their best every day while also supporting them as mentors and role models. My goal is to help bring pride back to Cavers football and build something special for the school and community.” – Stephen Cooper. As the San Diego High School Cavers head into the upcoming football season under new head coach Stephen Cooper, the program has started gaining major attention across San Diego. Much of the excitement comes from new transfers joining the team and the growing expectations surrounding the Cavers football program.
One of the biggest additions is transfer athlete Delontay Williams from Mount Miguel High School. Williams is considered one of the top football players in San Diego and currently holds more than 15 Division I scholarship offers. His arrival, along with standout athlete Kye Cooper, gives the Cavers two elite two-way players who both hold more than 10 Division I offers. With talent like this, San Diego High is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about teams in the city.
I had the opportunity to interview Williams about his transition to San Diego High and what he expects from the upcoming season. During the interview, he explained that his time at Mount Miguel helped shape him into the person he is today. He described the football program there as a brotherhood and said spending three years with the same teammates created strong relationships both on and off the field. He also credited the teachers and coaches at Mount Miguel for helping him grow as both a student and an athlete.
When asked why he chose San Diego High, Williams explained that changes within the coaching staff at Mount Miguel played a major role in his decision. He also mentioned that knowing Coach Cooper since he was younger made the transition feel more comfortable and helped influence his decision to join the Cavers program.
Williams also opened up about overcoming injuries during his football career. He admitted the experience was mentally difficult, but said it helped him become stronger mentally and taught him how to push through adversity. Looking ahead to the season, Williams said his biggest goal is to win a championship with the Cavers. He emphasized the importance of hard work, discipline, and teamwork, adding that offseason workouts have already helped the team develop a family-like bond.
Having been part of the San Diego community for the past four years, I have watched and played sports throughout the city, but I have never seen this level of excitement surrounding San Diego High football. With Coach Stephen Cooper leading the program and star athletes like Kye Cooper and Delontay Williams on the field, the Cavers are entering the season with high expectations and plenty of attention. The question now is whether the Cavers will continue building momentum and bring even more pride to the San Diego High community, or if the pressure and expectations will become too much to handle.
