2013 was an exciting year for local sports in Gilroy.
Our local athletes shined on the local, regional and national stages, representing our community positively and making us proud to call the Garlic Capital our home.
Here’s our list of the top 10 moments of 2013:
1. Villarreal wins CIF and CCS titles; Four Mustangs wins individual titles, GHS wins CCS team title
Nikko Villarreal likes to win in dramatic fashion. The Gilroy wrestler won his CCS individual title in a triple overtime showdown on Feb. 23, helping the Mustangs to their 11th straight team title. Villarreal (138) joined Jesse Vasquez (113), junior Victor Olmos (126) and junior Paul Fox (132) as one of four Gilroy wrestlers to win an individual title. Gilroy won the team title with 210 points in the match. Villarreal would go on to win his second consecutive California Interscholastic Federation championship, a 3-1 decision over Archbishop Riordan senior Elijah Davis. Fox was a runner-up at the CIF tournament, losing a 14-4 major decision to undefeated St. John Bosco freshman Aaron Pico.
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2. Robert Guerrero- Mayweather fight, gun charges
For two rounds, Robert ‘The Ghost’ Guerrero (31-2-1) looked to have a handle on Floyd Mayweather in the pair’s main event bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 4. Unfortunatley, that’s as good as it would get for the Gilroy boxer who lost by unanimaous decision after 12 rounds to the undefeated Mayweather. After the fight, Guerrero had to appear in court regarding his arrest on March 28 at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport after illegally transporting an unloaded Smith & Wesson .40-caliber gun — which is registered in California — in addition to three unloaded high capacity bullet magazines. The charges were dropped and instead Guerrero pled guilty to disorderly conduct and was fined $250 and ordered to complete 50 hours of community service.
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3. Frys.com plays one last round at CordeValle
For one last time, CordeValle Golf Course in San Martin played host to the PGA TOUR’s Frys.com Open — and it certainly went out with a bang. The tournament was bigger than ever, offering full FedEx Cup points, a lifechanging pot of $900,000 in addition to a prestigious invitation to The Masters. The Frys.com Open kept fans on their toes on the final day, as they watched 2-day leader Brooks Koepka struggle down the stretch — including three bogeys on the back nine. Koepka’s struggles opened the door for Jimmy Walker to pick up his first PGA TOUR victory since turning pro in 2001. Walker finished 17 under.
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4. Gilroy softball wins the CCS title
It all started with a three-run ninth inning that led to a stunning 6-3 win over the top ranked Archbishop Mitty on May 18. The Mustangs, the No. 8 seed, went on top Los Altos 2-1 in the semifinals and finally Mount Pleasant 1-0 in a nailbitter game for the Central Coast Section Division II Championship on May 25. It was the Mustangs second title in school history and their first since 1999.
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5. Gilroy Junior All Stars reach World Series
The Gilroy Junior All Stars softball team proved they are the best in the west. The Northern California State Championships knocked off Montana 3-2 and 8-3 in a double-header on Aug. 8 to punch their ticket to Junior League Softball World Series. T The road through the Western Regionals was anything but easy for Gilroy. After dropping its second game of the tournament, an 11-7 decision to Montana, the team had to fight its way back through the losers bracket. Gilroy was the only team that had to play eight games at the Western Regionals.
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6. Gilroy Browns reach semis of Super Bowl
The Gilroy Browns Jr. Midget Pop Warner team had a tough task a head of it, but it got the job done. The Browns topped the top ranked Daly City to reach the league championship where it knocked off Brentwood to win the league title and punch its ticket to the 57th Pop Warner Super Bowl at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando. The Browns topped the Warham Tigers (Mass.) in the opening round before losing to the Jensen Beach Falcons — the eventual Super Bowl champs — in the semifinals.
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7. Gavilan volleyball crowned back-to-back conference champs
For the second year in a row, the Gavilan volleyball team was crowned Coast Conference Champions. The Rams had a stellar season, winning 12 consecutive sets to end the season and losing only once in conference play to finish with a 21-7 overall record and 11-1 conference record. The Rams topped Modesto 3-1 in the opening round of the NorCal playoffs before losing 3-2 to American River in the second round to end their season.
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8. Christopher wins first banner in girls golf
After some controversary, the Christopher girls golf team was finally crowned the Monterey Bay League Champs. The Cougars wouldn’t, however, advance to the CCS tournament despite carding the best score at the MBL Championships. A technicality orginally disqualified them and Santa Catalina — who was the team with the lowest score who was DQ’d — advanced to represent the league. Christopher had to share its league title with SC and Stevenson, who tied with SC at the MBL Championships. The girls did, however, earn their first banner in school history.
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9. Christopher football wins third straight Severance Bowl
The Christopher football team won its third Severance Bowl in as many years over Gilroy High on Nov. 8. The win came in the midst of the Cougars’ four-game win streak that would launch them into the CCS playoffs. The victory was made even sweeter for Christopher as it was able to shutdown Gilroy’s Brandon Boyd — holding the standout senior to just 32 yards and a touchdown in the game. It was the second time this season the Cougars were able to limit a premier RB, as they held Live Oak’s Trevor Beardon to under 40 yards in the second game of the season.
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10. CHS boys, girls swim teams win MBL Pacific titles
Christopher won its first MBL Pacific titles in both boys and girls swimming. The boys finished with six championships, including two individual titles from Jacob Holm in the 500-meter freestyle and 100M butterfly. The Cougars also won the 200M free and medley relays. Sabrina Seery, 100M free, and Natalie Garcia, 500M free, both took home first place on the girls side. The girls 200M and 400M free relays also finished on top.
Christopher reaches CCS playoffs in football; Gilroy and Christopher both reach CCS playoffs in field hockey — Cougars fall in opening round, Mustangs lose 1-0 to Mitty in semis; Christopher girls win MBL Pacific track title
