Exactly a year ago this time, Yuri Tanaka was near the bottom of the Los Gatos High School football team depth chart at defensive tackle entering the 2025 season.
“I didn’t really have any expectations to get into games,” Tanaka said. “I was never really noticed in practice, and when it came time to put the pads on, I realized my chances to see the field weren’t very high. But I ended up playing a lot more than I expected.”
Did he ever. In the season-opener against Soquel, two players in front of Tanaka suffered injuries, paving the way for him to see live action. He entered the game late in the second quarter and did enough to earn a starting position in the next game.
“I knew I had to step up and once I got into the Soquel game, I never looked back,” he said.
Even though Tanaka didn’t expect to get any game action last season, he kept himself prepared just in case the opportunity arose.
“I had to use every rep in practice on the scout team defense against our starting offensive line to get better,” he said.
Fast forward to the eve of the 2026 season—Los Gatos plays at Soquel on Aug. 28 to kick things off—and Tanaka’s expectations have changed considerably. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound senior defensive tackle/offensive lineman is one of the leaders of the defense and a prototypical Los Gatos lineman: undersized but superior in technique, movement, agility, tenacity and determination.
“I’m not the biggest body you’ll see out there,” Tanaka said. “So for me it’s about honing my agility and speed to beat bigger guys who aren’t as fast.”
Tanaka’s mindset shift has a lot to do with the Los Gatos football culture, which builds up leaders who disciple the younger players so when they are seniors, they’re leading by example. The cycle repeats every season, a key factor to the Wildcats’ consistent success.
“Expectations are different now because I’ve never really been in a position where I’m the person to step up to help lead the defensive line group,” Tanaka said. “Now I’m being trusted to do that as well as play offensive line. Now I’m coaching up the juniors and it’s really important I make sure I’m able to be the senior that the seniors last year were to me. The seniors last year would coach me up and are responsible for where I am now.”
When Tanaka was a freshman and sophomore, he learned a lot from watching Aurelio Valdez, who was listed at 5-9, 175 pounds for his senior year. Valdez routinely outclassed bigger opponents and made a huge impact.
“When I was a freshman, I would watch Artie and he was the twitchiest dude on the field,” Tanaka said. “He would have the hardest motor and he would beat guys with speed and mobility. Then, when I was a sophomore and got called up to the varsity during his senior year, I had the opportunity to practice with him for a few weeks. Just playing on the scout team offense against him was a good opportunity to learn from him. He was the guy I looked up to since we played the same position.”
Los Gatos recently completed its annual lock-in camp, when the football team stays together for 2 ½ days on campus doing football and non-football related activities to build camaraderie and strengthen bonds. At the start of camp, the players have to surrender their cell phones to longtime head coach Mark Krail—and for good reason.
“Coach Krail likes to grab our phones, which is really nice actually because you get to bond with your teammates,” Tanaka said. “I don’t want to say it’s forced, but when you don’t have your phone, you have no choice but to talk with teammates and friends. A lot of guys brought games and I really got to talk to a lot of juniors and got to know them better. It was a really good opportunity to spend time with them.”
Football players are often described as a band of brothers, and that mindset is no different at tradition-rich Los Gatos. The closest teams tend to spend time off the field, developing a stronger relationship in the process. Tanaka has developed a passion for fishing, crediting fellow senior Cole Krings for expanding his knowledge of the sport.
“We’ll go fishing a lot and it’s a good opportunity to be closer to a teammate and some of the guys I play with,” Tanaka said. “I’ve known Cole since elementary school and going through high school together and now playing the same position, there’s no feeling like it. It’s pretty cool to be close friends (and play for the guy next to you).”
