He made the bandana out of a ripped T-shirt.
And for nearly a year now, Gilroy senior Jorden Newton has worn
it as a reminder.
He made the bandana out of a ripped T-shirt.
And for nearly a year now, Gilroy senior Jorden Newton has worn it as a reminder.
The big “H” is to remind the wide receiver of last year’s humiliating 30-point win by Hollister in the Prune Bowl. The written slogan, “Operation Trophy Retrieval,” is to remind him of this year’s mission.
“It’s Hollister week — it’s everything,” Newton said. “It’s the game we want to win the most out of all of them.
“It’s a game we have to win.”
Every once in awhile — usually when the opponent is weak or the game isn’t all that crucial — coaches will have to use certain motivational tactics to ensure their team stays fired up and focused.
The GHS coaches needed nothing to prepare their team for tonight’s 7:30 kickoff at Mustang Stadium.
“When we don’t have that trophy, we get pretty hungry over here in Gilroy,” senior safety Jared Kaczorowski said. “It’s by far the game of the year in our opinions.
“Getting that trophy means getting respect.”
Of course, it would also go a long way toward easing the pain of last season’s 37-7 loss in Hollister. Even a year later, the Gilroy camp can’t forget three of its early touchdowns being taken away by what game tape proved, and what a league official later admitted, was faulty officiating.
“Look, Hollister beat us fair and square and they were a better team,” GHS head coach Darren Yafai said. “But it would’ve been a lot closer game had some calls gone the correct way.”
After the three potential scores were taken off the board — all within a quarter and a half — Yafai said the Gilroy coaches regrettably lost their composure.
According to Kaczorowski, “things starting falling apart.” An early 7-0 lead quickly evaporated as the Mustangs turned the ball over five times.
“It was all in our heads,” he recalled. “It was like a kick in the jaw. Everyone on the team thought we were better than them last year. We still think we were.”
Senior defensive end Kevin Collins said the memory “is something that motivates us every day.”
“Since January,” senior tailback Eric Rodriguez said.
“Since even before January,” senior linebacker Joe Cano added. “They’re the enemy to us.
“We’re just like a raging bull. When we see the red, we want to destroy it.”
Offensive coordinator Tim Pierleoni, who noted 5-0 Gilroy turned in one if its top practices of the year Wednesday, said tonight’s game is “a measuring stick” — a test to determine whether the team’s early-season confidence will carry over to the start of TCAL play.
“This is it right here,” he said. “We’re going to find out what we can do when someone stands up to us.
“Because Hollister will stand up to us.”
Gilroy’s defensive unit, Yafai said, will have to deal with a suddenly dangerous Haybaler passing attack and with a Wing-T offense that “will be more physical than anybody” the Mustangs have faced.
