After a play early in Gilroy’s football game at Palma Friday
night, a Chieftain linebacker pulled up his jersey to show off a
homemade T-shirt he made in honor of Mustangs’ running back Justin
Sweeney.
In black marker and big letters, the white shirt simply read:
SWEENEY’S DADDY.
After a play early in Gilroy’s football game at Palma Friday night, a Chieftain linebacker pulled up his jersey to show off a homemade T-shirt he made in honor of Mustangs’ running back Justin Sweeney.
In black marker and big letters, the white shirt simply read: SWEENEY’S DADDY.
“To be honest,” Sweeney said, “I didn’t even think about that during the game.”
All he did was make it look inaccurate and utterly laughable.
In the Mustangs’ shocking 29-22 victory at the Salinas Sports Complex, Sweeney carved up 301 yards on 33 carries. He also rushed for a pair of touchdowns, caught a TD pass and a two-point conversion, and threw in a key 27-yard punt return that set up the team’s final score.
“He carried the team on Friday,” GHS offensive coordinator Tim Pierleoni said. “That’s not the first time he’s done it. And it won’t be the last.”
To his credit, Sweeney was quick to give his offensive linemen their due after the game.
And after watching the film, Pierleoni joined the chorus of praise.
“They did a really, really good job – by far their best performance of the year,” he said. “They were pushing guys off the ball and opening up big holes all night.”
Sweeney took full advantage.
On the team’s first drive – shortly after seeing the T-shirt – he sprinted 59 yards to the end zone, giving the Mustangs an early lead.
“I think they were a little taken aback,” Pierleoni said. “All week long I’m sure they were saying, ‘stop No. 1, stop No. 1.’ And when he came out and scored so quickly, I’m sure it put them on their heels a bit.”
Sweeney ended up churning out 211 yards in the first half alone, tallying three more runs of 30-plus yards.
The 5-foot-9, 160-pound back admitted he had looked forward to a showdown of sorts with All-TCAL quarterback Chad Bozzo, a third-year starter considered both a passing and running threat.
“Last year he had a really good season and that put him on the map,” Sweeney said of Bozzo. “I think people knew what I was doing before, but maybe thought most of it was against weak teams. So maybe this will put me on the map.
“It’s definitely a statement, playing against a team like Palma. I think the whole team made a statement.”
Like the rest of his teammates, Sweeney used those daily, early-morning workouts in the offseason to get stronger and faster. And that’s the “best part of it,” Pierleoni said.
“He’s very talented, but he’s also been working his rear end off all year long.”
The statistical leaderboards bare witness (see accompanying graph). Out of the 13 leagues and 89 teams in the Central Coast Section, Sweeney and his 1,304 yards trail only one other running back.
And among TCAL schools, the Gilroy standout sits more than 800 yards ahead of his nearest competitor, Live Oak’s Kevin Abbott.
With a year still yet to come, Sweeney is already being compared to the greatest running backs in school history.
Starting with Jim Fahey in the 1950s, standout backs like “Slippery” Pete Hernandez, Kevin Scoggins, Alex Tinsley and Danny Gallo have written and re-written the GHS record book.
GHS head coach Darren Yafai, who pointed out it’s been at least 30 years since a Mustang running back last ran for 300 yards, said Sweeney “can go down as one of the greatest backs in Gilroy High School history,” if he continues to work hard.
Chris Cameron, now in his 11th year as head coach at San Benito High, said he’s already convinced. Along with his assistants, Cameron was in attendance for Sweeney’s dissection of the Palma defense.
“It was awesome to watch,” he said of the performance. “I’ve seen a lot of good backs over time and when we play Gilroy, they’ve always got some good skill-position players.
“But this guy is head and shoulders above any of them as far as I’m concerned. He’s one heck of a football player.”
Even though his team actually held Sweeney to a season-low 126 yards in the Prune Bowl, Cameron went on to say the Mustangs’ star was “way better” than any running back he has ever coached against.
He wouldn’t get much of an argument from Pierleoni, who said watching Sweeney sometimes evokes images of a player he followed as a little kid.
“As far as vision and ability to cut back, he has a lot of (Chicago Bears’ Hall of Fame tailback) Gale Sayers in him,” Pierleoni said. “I know that’s a bold statement to make about a high school kid, but there’s obviously a lot of talent there.”
Don’t laugh.
When asked who he would compare Sweeney’s cutback ability to, Cameron immediately suggested Sayers.
“He stays patient in the hole and as soon as he sees a small seam, he just has that special burst of energy,” Cameron said of Sweeney. “He’s got really good vision … makes great cuts.
“A lot of the things you just can’t teach? He has them all.”
As an opposing coach, that’s not what worries him the most, though.
“The thing he has that frightens me the most,” Cameron said, “is one more year of high school.”
How Sweeney stacks up …
TCAL
Player Carries Yards Avg.
Sweeney, Gilroy 148 1304 8.8
Abbott, Live Oak 58 500 8.6
Bothke, Salinas 78 497 6.3
Quinonez, N. Salinas 76 403 5.3
Gaitan, Hollister 53 392 7.3
South CCS (TCAL, MTAL, MBL, SCCL)
Player Carries Yards Avg.
Sweeney, Gilroy 148 1304 8.8
McFolling, Monterey 94 985 10.5
Brower, Carmel 141 955 6.8
Clair, Greenfield 108 764 7.1
Alvarez, Soquel 94 656 7.0
CCS Rushing
Player Carries Yards Avg.
Rosales, Santa Teresa 145 1413 9.8
Sweeney, Gilroy 148 1304 8.8
Farr, Cupertino 144 1165 8.1
Hunter, Independence 120 998 8.3
McFolling, Monterey 94 985 10.5
CCS Scoring
Player TD 2-pt. Total Pts.
Brower, Carmel 17 0 102
Sweeney, Gilroy 15 1 92
Rosales, Santa Teresa 15 0 90
Figueroa, Lincoln 15 0 90
Brown, Leigh 15 0 90
