A small sample from a wealth of great games and special
moments
A small sample from a wealth of great games and special moments
I am one of the few outsiders – aside from family and close friends of the players – who get to experience the raw, unadulterated and sometimes unpredictable emotions our local athletes endure. I witness unexplainable anger, undeniable joy, the jokes, the friendships and the lessons taught. I see teenagers fight through adversity or shy away from challenge. I watch pride fill a parents’ eyes and camaraderie between teammates form. And every day delivers something different.
Distinguishing top moments from such a diverse mix of local sports stories is a difficult task. And when most of the coverage is dedicated to the amateur local athlete, and the effort made by those individuals, teams and coaches is so unique compared to other levels of sport, separating a select few is particularly daunting. Sprinkle in a few athletes and events that encompass Gilroy and its people and quite a list is created.
The moments never stop, which makes covering sports such a privilege.
Happy New Year.
Counting down the moments
10. GHS water polo goes undefeated in league
The way the GHS girls water polo team beat opponents on the way to a 22-3 record was mindboggling. With a potent offense and stifling defense, the Mustangs in the pool were unstoppable at times. Led by mild-mannered third-year head coach Sean LaGuardia, the Mustangs finished 9-0 in league, including a thrilling 13-12 victory over rival San Benito in October. The Mustangs qualified for their second straight playoff berth.
9. Lira’s dominance in the circle and at the plate
Talk about hanging on by the edge of your seat.
The Gilroy High softball team’s lone playoff win last May had the makings of a daytime soap opera. It didn’t win the Mustangs the coveted Central Coast Section crown, but it sure made for some quality softball. Pitcher Sarah Lira baffled Leland High hitters in complete-game dominance. The then junior also picked up the game-winning RBI-single in the top of the sixth inning. Great game.
8. Coach Carpenter returns to GHS
Former Gilroy High hoopsters and rowdy fans alike packed the bleachers inside Bob Hagen Memorial Gymnasium to watch rivals GHS and San Benito face one another in a big time league meet up last January.
Not only were fans amped for the game, but the contest also marked the return of head coach Tracy Carpenter. Now the head man of the Balers boys team, Carpenter ran the Mustangs varsity program from 1982-92, compiling a 215-99 record in that span.
The game was tense and the mood electric – oh, and the game was featured on a Salinas TV show – as a stingy Mustangs defense eventually wore down the Balers in a 64-53 triumph.
7. Cid’s message loud, clear
Battling through its first season as a varsity program, playing in the physical Monterey Bay League, the CHS football team took a few hits along the way. That didn’t matter though. The Cougars were a few miscues and a couple healthy players away from picking up a one or two more wins.
A slow start against North Monterey County in October left little doubt of the game’s outcome, but the Cougars didn’t fold. It was a highlight-reel worthy collision. Bryant Cid receiving a kickoff, pointing out a Condors kick coverage member and barreling directly into his chest. The players landed five yards forward. It had little to do with the score, but more with competition and toughness. That’s sports.
6. Little League World Series
Some memories never fade. For the 12 teammates on the Gilroy Little League Juniors All-Star team, the summer of 2010 is one they will never forget. The group of 13- and-14-year-olds three-week journey through state and regional championships culminated in the semifinals of the Little League World Series in Kirkland, Wash. A 1-0 loss to eventual champ Latin America ended title aspirations. But fourth place in the entire world isn’t too shabby – to say the least.
5. Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero pummels Casamayor
Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero’s 2010 saw more ups and downs than the Boardwalk’s Giant Dipper roller coaster. Juggling his family life with a busy boxing career, Guerrero ended the year as the WBO’s mandatory lightweight title contender.
In his second fight after wife Casey Guerrero received a bone marrow transplant in February, Guerrero – with Casey in attendance – had his way with Joel Casamayor in a July unanimous decision victory.
Back in Team Guerrero’s dressing room after the fight, immediate family members enjoyed some quiet time, reflecting on the win. In the corner sat Robert and Casey just holding hands. True love and a memorable scene.
4. GHS field hockey keeps getting better and better
Not many prep programs can be considered dynasties, and with the ever changing dynamic of high school sports, the word is rarely used. But if there was a request for examples of a dynasty, head coach Adam Gemar and the GHS field hockey program should be considered.
Though the Mustangs fell two goals shy of a Central Coast Section championship in 2010, it was the first finals appearance for the program in 25 years.
The GHS brand of field hockey is here to stay.
3. The Frys.com Open comes to town
The PGA Tour right in our backyard. Held at CordeValle Golf Club in San Martin in October, the first full-fledged PGA stop in the Bay Area included a cavalcade of talented golfers.
Not only were locals John Ellis and Erick Justensen in the field but so were John Daly, Rocco Mediate, Rickie Fowler, David Duval, Justin Leonard, Paul Goydos and others.
Mediate eagled from the fairway on No. 17 – his fourth eagle of the week – in a soggy Sunday final round, lifting him to his first tournament victory in eight years.
2. Eight in a row: The GHS wrestling streak
Brett Favre’s streak of consecutive games played came to an end in 2010, but the Gilroy High varsity wrestling team’s run of Central Coast Section championships continued with ease.
The Mustangs successfully defended their CCS title again in February. Little Leif Dominguez’s stunning last-second victory in the 103-pound finals highlighted the Mustangs’ epic night. Five GHS wrestlers earned CCS individual titles and all eight who participated in the section meet qualified for the state tournament, where the Mustangs placed sixth. Highly energetic and full of surprises, wrestling at the state level can’t be topped when it comes to pure thrills.
1. Severance Bowl: The beginning
More exciting than anything, the inaugural Severance Bowl, pitting Gilroy’s two comprehensive high schools together on the gridiron, planted the rivalry seed. The town’s staple school versus the new kid on the block.
The game was close at halftime and featured some seriously sweet hits, touchdowns and aggression. And yes, some spirited trash talk. Why wouldn’t there be?
The benchmark has been set for years of head-to-head encounters between the crosstowners. A welcomed new tradition, which will have plenty of thrills and memorable games in the future.
