Palo Alto presents a challenge that only one other opponent on
Gilroy High football’s regular season schedule will provide.
Similar to Palma, whom the Mustangs will face on Halloween, the
Vikings are a squad that prefers to pass. The result could be a
scoring bonanza that lights up the scoreboard and increases the
energy bill from tonight’s 7:30 p.m. game at Garcia-Elder Sports
Complex.
GILROY – Palo Alto presents a challenge that only one other opponent on Gilroy High football’s regular season schedule will provide.
Similar to Palma, whom the Mustangs will face on Halloween, the Vikings are a squad that prefers to pass. The result could be a scoring bonanza that lights up the scoreboard and increases the energy bill from tonight’s 7:30 p.m. game at Garcia-Elder Sports Complex.
Palo Alto quarterback Will Brandin is coming off a strong performance in a 41-27 Week 2 win over Archbishop Mitty. Brandin threw for 259 yards and four touchdowns, leading his team to a 2-0 mark and earning the respect of Mustangs head coach Rich Hammond.
“He’s probably not as good as (Palma’s David) Fales (now), but he’s better than what we saw last year from Fales,” Hammond said.
Fales has given a verbal commitment to play at the University of Nevada-Reno next year.
Brandin’s top-two targets are Maurice Williams – labeled “the fastest sophomore I’ve ever seen” by Hammond – and senior Harry Woolson, who has caught eight passes for 128 yards and three scores this season. Operating out of a two-back pro set, running back Sam Tompkins is averaging over 5 yards per carry and has two touchdowns and 231 yards rushing in two games.
Keeping up with Gilroy’s high-powered offensive attack will be key to any success Palo Alto hopes to have.
“We’re going to try and not allow (a lot of points),” Vikings coach Earl Hansen said. He then added, “I don’t know if you can stop that offense, not many people have.”
The two team’s common opponent, Mitty, certainly had little luck. Gilroy posted 62 points on the Monarchs on opening night before edging Atascadero 27-19 last week.
Playing predominantly out of a 4-3 base defense, the Vikings are likely to drop a couple player’s from their front seven to cover the Mustangs’ three-, four- and five-receiver sets.
“That’s one theory,” Hansen said. “We’re not going to do what Mitty did.”
Mitty often blitzed heavy while leaving Gilroy receiver Dante Fullard one-on-one without safety help over the top. The result was three touchdown catches by Fullard on the exact same route.
“From a coaching standpoint, one team plays man and we score 62,” Hammond said. “One plays quarters and we score 27. So, that’s what I expect.”
Another thing to expect is some tired bodies by the time the game reaches the fourth quarter. While Gilroy platoons on offense and defense, Palo Alto has up to seven players seeing action on both sides of the ball. The frenetic pace that Gilroy plays often leaves teams dragging by the end, as seen in the Mustangs’ win at Atascadero last week. The Greyhounds’ two best players were repeatedly taken out of the game on offense in the second half to catch their breath.
Hammond doesn’t think there is any one player for Palo Alto that will decide the game, but he knows how dangerous the Vikings are after winning the Central Coast Section Large School Division championship last season.
“There’s not a fish out there. There isn’t a guy that you say, ‘Let’s get him in a one-on-one situation.’ ” Hammond said. “I would put them as comparable to the Los Gatos team we played (in the playoffs) last year. Not as big but more athletic. We definitely have to play our best football to date.”
