Mustangs survive another close encounter with Burlingame
By Marc David Sports Editor
Gilroy – Two Gilroy High football teams showed up in the second half of the Mustangs opener Friday with Burlingame.
The Gilroy team in the third quarter missed tackles and allowed the Panthers to complete big plays. The fourth-quarter team kept Burlingame out of the end zone.
It added up to an exciting 28-27 Mustangs’ win at Garcia-Elder Complex, the third straight year that the teams have opened against each other and third straight time Gilroy won by a touchdown or less.
“We just can’t shake it; I don’t know what it is,” said Panthers’ coach John Philipopoulos. “All I know is that the past two years it has done wonders for us because we’ve been in the playoffs. They are a pretty darn good football team with two outstanding backs.”
Those backs are Paul Gonzales and Travis Reyes, both of whom rushed for more than 100 yards running counters and traps to blunt a Burlingame defense determined not to let the runners get to the corners.
Quarterback Marc Vegas played flawlessly in his debut, spearheading an offense that accumulated 334 total yards and didn’t turn the ball over.
And yet despite all the good things the Mustangs did, they were in a dogfight until the end because they committed a crucial personal foul in the second quarter that aided one touchdown drive, and missed tackles on Carlos Iraheta’s 66-yard runback with the second-half kickoff.
“They’re always a tough team for us,” said lineman Carlos Estrada, who has been involved in all three close contests with Burlingame. “It comes down to who has the most heart. The first game is always important, especially when it’s at home, because it sets the tone for the season. It gives us a lot more confidence.”
Reyes got a dose of confidence with his running success when Gonzales was slowed by a hip pointer. Gonzales, who gained 120 yards rushing and 41 yards receiving, saw limited second-half action. Reyes picked up where Gonzales left off, rushing for 95 of his 103 yards after halftime.
“Travis had a great game,” said Gonzales. “Our line helped us a lot. I’m a little sore but I’ll be ready for next week.”
Philipopoulos didn’t see much difference between the two backs.
“They are shifty and fast, and they came back with some misdirections that caught us off guard,” Philipopoulos said.
Seven different players ran the ball for Gilroy, which rushed for 248 yards on 47 attempts.
“I didn’t feel there was that much pressure on me,” Reyes said. “Paul and I push each other in practice. When Paul went down, I knew I had to step up. Our line was really something. On that (43-yard) touchdown run in the third quarter, I think my mom could have probably scored through that hole they opened.”
Gilroy used an advantage in field position and a tough defense to pave the way for its first touchdown of the season. After a scoreless first quarter, the Mustangs marched 79 yards, coming up one yard short of the end zone to open the second quarter. Gilroy’s defense held, forcing Burlingame to go three-and-out.
Danny Contreras picked up a short punt and returned it 11 yards to the Panthers’ 24. On the seventh play, Reyes hit the right side and scored from the 3.
Burlingame marched 68 yards with the ensuing kickoff with Drew Campbell passing to Tim Ellingson for the final four yards on the sixth play of the drive.
Gonzales’ 65-yard scamper set up Gilroy’s next TD, and the senior tailback capped a 110-yard rushing half by going in from the 5 with 43 seconds left before halftime to put the Mustangs ahead 14-7.
The Panthers had 124 of their 258 yards of offense in the third quarter when they scored every time they had the ball. But a Vegas-to-Dennis Rathi 29-yard touchdown pass and Reyes’ 43-yard TD run kept Gilroy from every giving up the lead.
Whereas the Mustangs were a little spotty with their special teams play, Burlingame hurt itself by missing two PATs. Meanwhile, Luis Perez-Padilla was perfect on four placements.
Neither team had a turnover through three quarters before Frank Subia came up with an interception with 9:52 left that was the first time Gilroy stopped Burlingame in the second half.
“Frank did a great job of making a read and getting the pick,” said Rich Hammond, savoring his first GHS victory as head coach. “And Jake Cantu, with his interception (with 1:47 left) showed he is a real gamer.”
“We needed some momentum,” said Subia, who came up with another big fourth-quarter play with a 33-yard punt return. “Our line did a great job of putting pressure on their quarterback.”
And the Mustangs found a way to win during an effort in which they lacked a knockout punch.
“I felt we should have been ahead 21-0 at halftime,” Hammond said. “I don’t like that we let them stay in the game. We didn’t have the killer instinct to put it away. We need to learn how to finish games.”
