By YSN365 Staff

The names have changed, but one thing certainly hasn’t.

Winning the Redwood Empire Conference Adobe Division is going to be difficult.

The conference’s top football division gets a makeover for 2026 with American Canyon and St. Vincent de Paul joining Cardinal Newman, Marin Catholic, San Marin and Windsor in a six-team league that should once again rank among the deepest in the North Coast Section.

Gone from last year’s Adobe are Rancho Cotate and Vintage, while the additions of American Canyon and St. Vincent hardly make the road any easier.

In fact, they may make it tougher.

American Canyon arrives after going 9-2 and running the table at 6-0 in the Valley Division last season, while St. Vincent de Paul finished 11-2 and reached the NCS Division 5 championship game.

And waiting for both of them is defending Adobe champion Cardinal Newman.

CARDINAL NEWMAN

The Cardinals enter 2026 with a new head coach but the same expectations.

Kenny McMillan takes over the program after Cardinal Newman went 11-2 last season, finished a perfect 5-0 in the Adobe and advanced all the way to the NCS Division 1 championship game before falling to Pittsburg.

McMillan isn’t exactly starting over. He was already part of the program as a wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator and has assembled an impressive staff that includes associate head coach and offensive coordinator Sean Embree and defensive coordinator Ryan Crowe.

More importantly, there is plenty of talent coming back.

Quarterback LT Retamoza returns after an injury-shortened sophomore  season. Retamoza missed much of 2025 with a broken collarbone, forcing the Cardinals to adjust offensively, but his return gives Newman an experienced senior quarterback capable of opening up the passing game.

Owen Graffe, who had to sit out last season following his transfer from Montgomery, also becomes eligible and should give Newman another weapon.

The Cardinals have speed outside, led by Zion Cargill, an Eastern Washington commit who has established himself as one of the fastest players in the Redwood Empire.

The biggest question is replacing the production of running back Malakai Pathoumnourack, who rushed for 1,329 yards and scored 21 touchdowns last season.

Newman will find out quickly how good it is. Before Adobe play even begins, the Cardinals face a non-league schedule that includes Folsom, De La Salle, Archbishop Riordan and Clayton Valley Charter.

That’s about as difficult a September as anyone in Northern California will play.

YSN365 outlook: The defending champions remain the team everyone else has to catch.

MARIN CATHOLIC

If there is one program that doesn’t need an introduction to Cardinal Newman, it’s Marin Catholic.

The Wildcats and Cardinals have developed one of Northern California’s better small-school rivalries, and Marin Catholic has been one of the most consistent programs in the NCS for more than two decades.

Marin Catholic finished 5-6 last season, but that record is somewhat misleading. The Wildcats played a difficult schedule and went 4-1 in the Adobe, with their only league loss coming 45-13 at Cardinal Newman.

One major reason for optimism is the return of quarterback Dylan Skrinar, who threw for 2,131 yards last season and is only a junior.

That kind of experience at quarterback makes Marin Catholic dangerous, particularly for a program that traditionally gets better as the season progresses.

Once again the Wildcats aren’t ducking anyone in September. Their non-league schedule includes Monte Vista, St. Ignatius, Edison-Stockton, Acalanes and St. Mary’s-Stockton.

Then comes Adobe play.

And circle October 16.

That’s when Marin Catholic visits Cardinal Newman at Ed Lloyd Field.

YSN365 outlook: Don’t be fooled by last year’s overall record. Marin Catholic is a legitimate championship threat.

SAN MARIN

San Marin has become another fixture near the top of the NCS football landscape.

The Mustangs finished 8-3 last season and went 3-2 in the Adobe, with two of their losses coming against Cardinal Newman — including a heartbreaking 21-14 overtime loss in the NCS playoffs.

Coach Dominic DiMare will have some significant pieces to replace, but San Marin rarely stays down for long.

The Mustangs’ current roster features a sizeable senior group along with an experienced junior class, and San Marin traditionally has enough strength up front to remain competitive against the league’s physical teams.

Their league schedule won’t allow much time to ease into things.

San Marin opens Adobe play at home against Cardinal Newman on October 9, then travels to American Canyon before hosting Windsor and traveling to Marin Catholic.

Four straight weeks. Four serious tests.

YSN365 outlook: There may be more unknowns than a year ago, but overlooking San Marin is never a good idea.

WINDSOR

Here’s the Adobe team that could be particularly interesting.

Windsor was only 1-4 in league play last season, but the Jaguars finished 6-5 overall and bring back two of their most important offensive players.

Senior quarterback Carter Vose III returns along with senior receiver Blayke Ferronato.

Ferronato was Windsor’s leading receiver last season, averaging more than 81 receiving yards per game, and gives Vose an established No. 1 target.

The Jaguars also have some serious size up front, including Joseph Bridgers (6-3, 310) and William Salazar (6-0, 300).

Windsor has shown in recent seasons that when it gets rolling offensively, it can score with just about anyone. The next step is finding a way to turn that production into wins against the top of the Adobe.

YSN365 outlook: A veteran quarterback, a proven receiver and experience up front make Windsor a dangerous dark horse.

AMERICAN CANYON

Welcome to the Adobe.

The Wolves earned their promotion the hard way.

American Canyon went 9-2 overall and 6-0 in the Valley Division last season, and now gets the opportunity to see how that success translates against the top level of the Redwood Empire Conference.

There is a major piece returning.

Senior running back/linebacker Isaac Anderson rushed for 741 yards on just 88 carries last season — an impressive 8.4 yards per attempt — and scored 13 rushing touchdowns.

He’ll likely become an even larger part of the offense following the graduation of leading rusher Andre Lopez.

American Canyon won’t be able to sneak up on anyone after last year’s success, and its first season in the Adobe will provide an immediate measuring stick for how far the program has come.

YSN365 outlook: The Wolves aren’t moving up simply to participate. They have enough talent to beat people and could shake up the championship race.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL

Perhaps no newcomer is more intriguing than St. Vincent.

The Mustangs have become one of the most successful small-school programs in Northern California and are coming off an 11-2 season and an appearance in the NCS Division 5 championship game.

Now comes a significant jump in weekly competition.

Instead of trying to prove itself against Adobe teams in occasional non-league games, St. Vincent will see them every week.

The Mustangs do lose some major offensive production from last season, including quarterback Gabe Casanovas and running back Mason Caturegli, so developing the next group of playmakers will be important.

But this is a program accustomed to winning, and St. Vincent has demonstrated repeatedly that it isn’t intimidated by schools with larger enrollments.

The schedule provides an immediate introduction to its new surroundings: American Canyon, Windsor, Marin Catholic, Cardinal Newman and San Marin.

Welcome to the Adobe indeed.

YSN365 outlook: Moving into the Adobe is a major step up, but St. Vincent has earned the opportunity. The Mustangs could be the league’s biggest wildcard.

YSN365 PRESEASON ADOBE POWER RANKINGS

1. Cardinal Newman
The defending champion gets the top spot until somebody takes it away. Retamoza’s return at quarterback, Cargill’s speed and the addition of Grafe give the Cardinals plenty to work with.

2. Marin Catholic
An experienced quarterback and one of the most consistently successful programs in the NCS. The Wildcats should be much better than last year’s 5-6 overall record suggests.

3. San Marin
The Mustangs lost some important pieces but went 8-3 last season and have built a program that expects to compete for championships every year.

4. Windsor
The potential sleeper. Vose and Ferronato give the Jaguars one of the league’s better returning quarterback-receiver combinations.

5. American Canyon
Don’t read too much into the No. 5 ranking. The Wolves went 9-2 and undefeated in league last year and bring back one of the division’s most explosive runners in Anderson.

6. St. Vincent de Paul
Somebody has to be sixth, which demonstrates just how strong this league is. An 11-win team that reached an NCS championship game is entering the season at the bottom of our preseason rankings.

That says more about the Adobe than it does about St. Vincent.

FIVE GAMES TO CIRCLE

October 9 — Cardinal Newman at San Marin
The defending champions open Adobe play against the team they had to beat twice last season.

October 16 — Marin Catholic at Cardinal Newman
The rivalry needs no explanation.

October 23 — American Canyon at Cardinal Newman
The defending Valley champion gets its shot at the defending Adobe champion.

October 30/31 — Cardinal Newman at St. Vincent de Paul
A fascinating matchup between two programs that have spent plenty of time playing for NCS championships.

November 6 — Windsor at Cardinal Newman
The regular-season finale could have championship implications.

THE BOTTOM LINE

There may not be another league in the NCS where finishing fifth or sixth could still mean you’re a very good football team.

Cardinal Newman is the defending champion. Marin Catholic is Marin Catholic. San Marin has been a perennial playoff contender. Windsor returns an experienced quarterback and its leading receiver. American Canyon just went undefeated in its league. St. Vincent won 11 games and played for an NCS championship.

And now put all six together.

The Adobe has a different look in 2026.

It might also be better than ever.