By Jim Cortese Guest Columnist
By Jim Cortese Guest Columnist
If someone was to ask the large group of kids gathered in the stands at approximately the 20-yard line what the score of the game was, no doubt the answer would be “huh?”
It is basically a freshmen social gathering in which a football game happens to break out on the field. I don’t think this is different from any other high school, and maybe I was just too much of a “jock” in high school. But if you actually want to watch the game and avoid getting stepped on – literally – my suggestion is to avoid this area of the stands. The group’s “Football Attention Deficit Disorder” caused them to miss a great peformance by the Gilroy High football team.
I’m still not sure if Gilroy has an awesome team or if San Lorenzo Valley is terrible. I think it is somewhere between those two extremes. Nonetheless, take nothing away from our local high school team. These guys can play and seem well-coached.
In sports, there is no substitute for speed. Combine that with some good instincts and you end up with Justin Sweeney and his counterparts. Throw in a hard-hitting defensive unit and no turnovers, and you end up with a tough team to beat. Being a bit partial to the West Catholic Athletic League that I played in too many years ago, I was a bit skeptical when I went to the game, my first-ever at Gilroy High.
But the Mustangs made a believer out of me. They definitely deserve their high CCS ranking and hopefully can maintain it during league play. I am now an official Gilroy Mustang fan, and surely will be back – especially to watch Justin run. One of the most impressive things I witnessed was a beautiful touchdown run in which the Gilroy player simply put the ball down in the endzone and sprinted back to the sidelines. No dancing, no pounding chests and no taunting.
Someone once said, ‘When you score a touchdown you should act like you have been there before.’ It was classy and I was glad it was done by a player on our local team.
If the kids sitting on the 20-yard line decide to ever watch the game, they too will be impressed!
