16 five-man teams to battle it out in five events to determine
the champ
GILROY – Hogs will roll into Gilroy High School Tuesday, July 13, for the third annual Hoggie Fest.
The competition features 16 five-man teams of linemen from local high schools who compete with each other in a series of five events.
“We consider this the premier line competition in the Bay Area,” said Gilroy High head varsity football coach Darren Yafai, who is the orgzanizer of the annual Hoggie Fest.
Teams from Gilroy, Hollister, North Salinas, Watsonville, Willow Glen, Soquel, Aptos, Palo Alto’s Gunn and San Jose’s Evergreen Valley high schools will all invade Gilroy for a chance to show off and get some recognition.
“Receivers, running backs and quarterbacks get all the glory,” Yafai said. “Linemen need glory and fun, too. This is exclusively for offensive and defensive linemen.”
Events will test speed and strength of the team as a whole. Teams will have to bench press 185 pounds, squat 225 pounds, pull the Gilroy band truck 40 yards, and navigate through an obstacle course in a relay race. It all leads up to a championship tug-of-war tournament.
In the two weight competitions, team scores are totals from the number of reps from each participant. The truck pull is a speed test, as is the relay race.
In the relay race, individuals run through the course with a lineman bag which they pass off to their teammate. The fastest combined time wins.
The tug of war will be set up like a single-elimination tournament until there is only one group of hogs standing.
Points will be awarded throughout the day for placing in the top five. The team with the most points will win. Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams.
Last year’s winner was North Salinas with Hollister winning the year before.
The competition will be fierce, with Aptos, a defending CCS Champion, and Watsonville and North Salinas, which both appeared in the playoffs.
“We always know that Hollister will be competitive and they have a strong line,” Yafai said. “We never know who will win. There are plenty of good teams here.”
The festivities begin at 4 p.m. and will run until 9 p.m. Following the competition, the teams will be treated to a Hoggie Fest barbecue.
