Mustangs coming of 14-0 loss against Chieftains
Gilroy – At this point in the season, moral victories are nothing more than good losses. That begs the question: Are any losses good?
That depends. Gilroy High coach Rich Hammond was upbeat after last Friday’s 14-0 loss to state power Palma.
“The effort was there,” Hammond said. “We played four quarters of good defense.”
Other than a 72-yard draw play that went for the Chieftains’ second touchdown 27 seconds before halftime, the Mustangs defense was more effective against Palma than any team other than De La Salle, USA Today’s No. 1 ranked team in the country.
Of course, that again raises questions about Gilroy’s offense. As Hammond stated after the game, “We moved the ball effectively between the 20s.” Once again, however, the red-zone offense was sub-par.
That has been a season-long malady. Other than Paul Gonzales, who eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark against the Chieftains and is now at 1,022 for the season, GHS lacks consistent playmakers on offense. This has been most evident against the top teams on the Mustangs’ schedule.
GHS has yet to win as an underdog. Of course, one can’t lose sight of the ambitious schedule the Mustangs have faced this season. Oak Grove is unbeaten. Palma has one loss. Serra and San Benito have two losses.
Even figuring those were not winnable games, that translates into a 6-4 season that would easily qualify Gilroy for the Coast Conference Section playoffs. At 3-5, the Mustangs are still a playoff contender.
But they will have to take care of business this Friday at North Salinas and pull an upset the following week against arch-rival San Benito in the Prune Bowl.
Impossible? No.
“If we play (defense) as we did against Palma, good things will happen for this team,” Hammond said.
It’s hard to argue with the always optimistic first-year GHS head coach. That raises another question: Can the Mustangs re-discover an offense that was so efficient against Alvarez, Salinas and in the first half against Alisal?
If not, those players who compete in basketball, wrestling and soccer will be ready to report Nov. 10.
Drive of the Game: GHS had the ball for 6:24 starting at the end of the third quarter and stretching into the middle of the fourth, going 77 yards in 14 plays. It didn’t translate into any points.
Defensive Player of the Game: Vince Giacalone and Sebastian Muro combined to stuff Brett Taylor for a 6-yard loss on fourth-and-2 from the GHS 14.
Stat of the Game: Gilroy outgained Palma 129-65 in the second half.
