California high school football team to host game Friday after fire damages to new field

Mt. Diablo High School will host Alameda a month after private fireworks show gone bad delays home season by four weeks at a cost of more than $300,000

Closer photo of even more charred remains from a fire that destroyed a portion of Mt. Diablo High School's new $3 million field that gas been repaired. The Red Devils are set to return to Hart Fairclough Stadium on Friday. | Photo by Jay Bedecarre/Concord Clayton Pioneer / Photo by Jay Bedecarre/Concord Clayton Pioneer

Mt. Diablo football coach Fetuao Mua is a spiritual man. He considers working with teens on the gridiron — and far beyond — as "God's work."

By every measurement, he's superb at his craft.

In just over two years, he's turned around a program that had won a total of 39 games over 19 seasons — that's less than two per season — by recording back-to-back playoff campaigns starting in 2023. The Red Devils are were combined 15-8 record in that time while also winning the team's first league title since 1972.

Now off to a 3-0 record during his third season, with a 126-26 scoring advantage, the Red Devils are one of the San Francisco Bay Area's best turnaround stories at a school, founded in 1901, making it one of the oldest in Contra Costa County.

"We've got some dedicated kids and coaches and everyone is buying in," said Mua, a 2005 Mt. Diablo graduate and all-league lineman who later played at Diablo Valley College and Tusculum University (Greenville, Tenn.). "The players aren't just putting in the hard work during required practice time. These guys take it to the weekend in terms of taking care of their bodies, eating right and being dedicated to each other."

They've been especially good when faced with adversity.

The clearest example that caught national attention is when their brand new $3 million football field was torched Aug. 23, at first investigating as possible arson, though security camera footage showed people setting off fireworks.

Mua believes it was some fellow teens.

"Kids being kids," he said.

This was no minor mishap, however, because the team’s seven-game home schedule, set to begin in less than a week, looked in jeopardy. A big chunk of the new field turf — a 10-yard-long by 30-foot wide burn field  at midfield — was charred and deemed unplayable.  

“I’ll admit,” Mua said. “I was devastated. I found out on a Sunday afternoon and I need the rest of the day and part of the next clearing my thoughts and feelings to come up with something meaningful to tell the team.” 

Starting Mt. Diablo QB Michael Vasquez (left) and star two-way player Antonio Campbell will be connecting often throughout the 2025 season. / Photo by Vien Lam

His message to the team was fairly simple but powerful.

Setbacks, bumps in the road occur. Plans — even as joyous and deserving as cristening a new field after turning around a program — get changed, battered, even torched. Take it as a challenge. Adversity makes you stronger. Let it intensify your resolve.

"We just used it as extra movitation," he said. "It literally fueled a fire for all of us."

The Red Devils' celebration was simply delayed.

On Friday, they'll return to historic Hart Fairclough Stadium when they host Alameda, also 3-0, with a the field repaired, the players embolden and the season in tact.

Thanks to some painstaking work from people at the Mount Diablo School District, the game will kick off at 7:30 p.m.

“We have so many people to thank,” Mua said. “We’re so grateful to all who supported us every step of this way.” 

Mount Diablo Superintendent Adam Clark credited the district’s maintenance crew and contractor working with the turf installers. The repairs cost between $300,000 to $350,000, Clark said, with the district paying $200,000 and insurance covering the rest.  

“It was a big disappointment for a lot of people (at the time of the fire), but through a lot hard work from a lot of people, kids in many sports will now get to play on that field,” Clark said. “The kids in our school district are a resilient bunch and with the proper guidance like shown by coach Mua and his staff, they can do great things.”  

The team has been practicing inside the 30-yard lines for weeks while the field was being worked on. This week, the Red Devils practiced back on campus, outside of the stadium. 

“It really doesn’t matter where we play,” Mua said. “This team is together. You could put us all in one big luggage bag and send us anywhere and we’ll be ready.” 

Mua and his staff of 11 other coaches, including coordinators Tommy Hampton (offensive) and Marcus Moore (defensive), have got the Red Devils playing at a fever pitch, especially on defense, which returned nine starters from last year's squad.

That includes senior linebackers Kaile Leffel and Antonio Campbell, senior safety Jahmonny Derbigny and junior cornerback Christian Kuuan, who already has four interceptions this season. 

The offense is led by returning starting quarterback Michael Vasquez, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound junior, who has thrown for 635 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for two more scores. Campbell and junior Mekhi Anderson (12.9 yards per carry) are the leading ball carriers. Armanny Ayala and Sheldon Silas are returning All-League offensive linemen. 

Even though Mt. Diablo is chasing its first North Coast Section title, Mua has set the team’s dreams even higher. 

“We had a heck of an offseason and our goal is a state championship,” he said. “Anything short I wouldn’t say would be a failure. But this team definitely has that capability.”