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CHRISTOPHER COUGARS
Record: 3-1 overall; 0-0 in MBL-Pacific
Last week: Cougars were on their bye week. They beat Hillsdale 16-0 on the road Sept. 27.
Next up: Christopher hosts Watsonville at 7:30 p.m.
Opponent’s record: The Wildcatz are 1-4 overall, 0-1 in MBL-Pacific. They lost to Gilroy 21-10 last week.
Coach Tim Pierleoni’s comment: “One of our goals is to be a league champion and you can’t be a league champion without stepping up that first week in league. We’ve had two weeks off and the kids are chomping at the bit. They know how important our first league game is.”
On offense: Junior quarterback Matt Adamkiewicz was extraordinary the first four weeks of the season, throwing for over 1,200 yards and 10 TDs and averaging 13.2 yards per pass. He has an arsenal of offensive weapons at his disposal, including senior Max Sanford who has is averaging 15.9 yards per reception and Alex Pacheco who’s averaging 12.8. The Cougars haven’t done much on the ground—they haven’t really needed to—but put up 134 yards in their last game, their most of the season. Christopher has a strong running back in Raul Tovar who can rack up the yards if needed.
On defense: The Wildcatz run a double-wing, double-tight end offense which allows them to have four to five players ready to strike at any time. Christopher’s defense has been stellar so far, but Pierleoni said it needs to be even better as it faces an offense it hasn’t seen before. In addition to that, Watsonville runs a counter attack and the Cougars are making sure to prepare for that. The Wildcatz will have to get past Christopher’s Jacob tandem—Jacob Moen and Jacob Zimmerman—who have caused problems for their opponents all season. Moen has 52 total tackles so far—42 solo—and 1.5 sacks. Zimmerman has 21 tackles, 15 solo, and five sacks through four games.
“We’re just trying to make sure that they don’t have more men than us at the point of attack that’s pretty much the way we’re trying to defend that,” Pierleoni said. “We’ve got to be on our feet without a doubt.”
Keys to the game: Christopher has to come out swinging. Watsonville’s different offense could lead to havoc if the Cougars don’t get it under control from the start. Christopher has been great at protecting the football so far, only throwing five interceptions and losing two fumbles up to this point. It needs to keep up the ball control to be successful against Watsonville and notch its first league ‘W.’
— Erin Redmond, Sports Editor
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GILROY MUSTANGS
Record: 1-4 overall; 1-0 in MBL-Pacific
Last week: Gilroy picked up its first win, a 21-10 final over Watsonville on the road. Read the story at gilroydispatch.com.
Next up: The Mustangs host Alisal at 7:30 p.m.
Opponent’s record: The Trojans are 1-4 overall, 0-1 in the MBL-Pacific. They picked up their first win of the season last week, a 33-13 final over Pajaro Valley.
Coach Brian Boyd’s comment: “We think if we do what we did last week offensively and defensively and stay out of the penalties, we’ll be fine. We’re excited to be at home after being away. We’re definitely excited to be at home after a win.”
On offense: Gilroy’s David Montes breathed life into the run game last week, amassing 127 yards on 18 carries. It was the running back’s first game back after being injured in Week 1 against Live Oak. The Mustangs were averaging just 55 yards on the ground without him. Last week proved when the run game thrives, the pass game also comes alive. QB David Munoz was 16-for-32 for 214 yards and two touchdowns. Boyd said he’s expecting the Trojans to play a zone defense with some safeties over the top which he thinks his team can take advantage of.
On defense: Alisal runs a Fly Sweep offense which tries to keep defenses on its toes with misdirection and deception plays. Boyd said the Trojans feature a three-back set and run the outside receiver in Fly Sweep and in motion, involving him in the run game. The Mustangs will need to adjust to having another running back in the slot and move with him to be successful.
Key to the game: Penalties. Gilroy’s woes have stemmed from those pesky yellow flags that have plagued the team all season. While the Mustangs have seen double-digit penalties which cost them triple-digit yardage in first four weeks, they had just three last week. The change seems to be a direct correlation of the team’s new “draw a personal or unsportmanlike conduct penalty and sit for a quarter rule.” If the Mustangs can show the discipline they did against Watsonville, they have a good shot to improve to 2-0 in league this week.
“There’s three teams in our league right now with the same league record,” Boyd said. “The league record, that’s what we’re concentrating on now. We’re focusing on trying to get a league title and move on and hopefully slide into the playoffs.
— Erin Redmond, Sports Editor
