It is always fun at the end of a year to look back and reflect on what we just experienced.
The close of 2015 will mean different things to different people: Memories of loss and triumph mixed in with some just truly memorable story lines.
Below are a few of the stories that stood out to the Dispatch from 2015, but are by no means exhaustive. We would love to hear your favorites still.
Feel free to email cb******@********ia.com with your top memory of 2015 to be included on the Gilroy Dispatch website.
Gavilan baseball wins conference title
For the first time in 36 years, the Gavilan baseball team won a conference title, going 23-12 overall and 15-9 in Coast South Conference play.
The Rams clinched the title by beating Hartnell 10-5 in the final game of the season, advancing to the playoffs.
It was especially nice for the sophomores who got a taste of success in their first season, only to see Gavilan faltered down the stretch.
This time, however, the Rams finished, sending the sophomores out on a high note and a mobbing at the pitcher’s mound.
Gavilan plays first sand volleyball season
The Gavilan Rams got down and dirty in 2015 with the introduction of sand volleyball to their mix of sports.
The players christened the sport with a strong run in 2015, including two players advancing to the state championship.
Gavilan learned sand volleyball is hard, considering the skills of court play don’t translate perfectly to the sand, but they still had fun.
Sand volleyball kicks off again in February of 2016.
Gilroy wins 13th straight CCS title in record setting fashion
Consider this, the first of 13 Central Coast Section titles for Gilroy wasn’t broadcast on Twitter. It didn’t show up on Facebook. No one sent Snapchats from the mat. Instagram? Insta-nope. In fact (are you ready for this one?) it wasn’t even shared on Myspace. That’s right, none of the popular (or formerly popular) social network sites existed when Gilroy won in 2003 to kick off a baker’s dozen of wins.
That’s how long Gilroy wrestling has been dominating the CCS wrestling ranks and 2015 was no different.
Gilroy had six individual CCS champions and broke its own team points record to claim yet another title.
With 282 points, it wasn’t a matter of if Gilroy would win, but by how much.
The Mustangs went on to capture three Top 5 finishes, including Alex Felix who took third.
Football coaching changes at Gav, GHS
The drama over Gilroy High School football coach Brian Boyd’s dismissal had subsided by the start of 2015 and the Mustangs got ready to move forward.
Former Sobrato assistant coach Jubinal Rodriguez took over for Boyd in January as the first of two new hires for football programs in the Gilroy area. The other was at Gavilan when coach Spencer Gilford stepped down citing personal reasons in April.
Mike Dovenberg replaced him less than two weeks later after spending more than a year as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.
Coach P steps aside
After an hard loss to Hillsdale in September, the game got put into perspective quickly when Christopher’s head coach announced he was taking a sabbatical to tend to his ailing wife.
Coach Tim Pierleoni told his team on Sept. 25 that his wife was fighting breast cancer and he needed to be with her and their family.
Coach P did make a return for the Severance Bowl against Gilroy, but remained away from the team for the remainder of the year.
Sadly, Mrs. Jennifer Pierleoni passed away shortly before the close of the football season.
The Christopher football team—on senior night—gathered for a moment of prayer before the start of the game and released pink balloons in her honor.
Coach P had pledged he will be back on the sidelines for Christopher next season.
Monica Ruelas surprised with a state berth
On the Saturday of the Central Coast Section cross country championships, Monica Ruelas was five seconds away from advancing to state and fulfilling a dream she had of following in her sister’s footsteps.
A day later, Ruelas was making plans to head to Fresno for the CIF championships.
The a girl had to decline her invitation to the state meet, clearing a spot for Ruelas.
Natalie Gutierrez wins CCS high jump
Standing just 5-foot-3, Christopher’s Natalie Gutierrez stood tall at the CCS Track and Field Championships.
She cleared 5 feet, 5 inches to win the high jump and become one of two Cougars to advance to the state meet.
Gutierrez made it a goal to beat her previous record of 5-feet-4 at the start of the season and finally did it when it mattered the most.
Natalia Salcido death stuns CHS community
The Christopher High School community were shocked and saddened in May when a car accident took the life of cheerleader Natalia Salcido just shy of her 16th birthday.
The outpouring of grief and support was immediate as the Cougars rallied around each other and her family as everyone sought answers to
the tragedy.
The accident occurred late in the evening of May 9 when the car she was traveling in hit a tree on Miller Avenue.
No one else in the car was seriously injured.
The grief was compounded when not a week later when CHS student Sara Williams died in an accident where the driver was suspected to be under the influence that led to the deaths of four people, including three from Gilroy area schools.
Sports teams honored the loss of Salcido and Williams. CHS softball honored Salcido during a game where both the Cougars and Gilroy High players donned pink in memory of the sophomore.
The softball team had a second memorial for the two girls during senior day.
A memorial fund was set up in Salcido’s honor by her family called the Natalia Salcido Legacy Fund, operated through the Gilroy Foundation.
It aims to “give back to kids and teens in the community who may not be able to afford all the privileges she had,” including sports, cheer, camp, educational travel, music, theater and the arts, according to Andora Salcido. Vehicle safety also will be a part of the program.
For more information visit the Gilroy Foundation’s website at gilroyfoundation.org or send a tax-deductible donation to Natalia Salcido Legacy Fund, P.O. Box 774, Gilroy, CA 95021.
Submitted best of 2015:
The Christopher High Boys Water Polo team played for the Monterey Bay League championship. The Cougars fought back from an early deficit and battled to the end, losing to Stevenson.
As they exited the pool, there were lots of tears from players and parents, not because they lost, but because it was the last time this spectacular group of young men would be part of the same team.
Mark Roberts
