Rams welcome familiar foe to Garcia-Elder Sports Complex on
Saturday
First-year football head coach Spencer Gilford will lead Gavilan into the 2011 season against a familiar foe when the Rams host the De Anza Dons in a non-conference showdown at at 5 p.m. inside Garcia-Elder Sports Complex on Saturday.
“I know De Anza very well,” Gilford said. “I’ve played against them for several years. They are coming off back-to-back conference titles. We have a lot of respect for what they do.”
That familiarity extends beyond the record books, where De Anza has won four straight games against the Rams and went unbeaten in the Coast Conference in 2009 before being moved up to the Golden Gate Conference in 2010.
Dons head coach Dan Atencio, who was in charge of Gavilan’s football squad during the 1998-99 season, has a former Gilroy High Mustangs, Nick Marra, as one of two quarterbacks at his disposal. Marra led Gilroy High School to a playoff berth in 2009. He and Joshua McCain of Piedmont Hills will share the quarterbacking for the visitors.
“We like to play tough teams and, regardless of the record, the Gavilan guys always play hard,” said Atencio of the weekend matchup.
“We should be better than last year, but you don’t know how the team’s going to play until the games begin. We have size and speed and we’ll travel 84 players.”
Gavilan will suit up as many as 50 players Saturday, including eight from Gilroy High, four from San Benito, and one apiece from Live Oak High and Anchorpoint Christian.
Gilford named Nate Ellis, a 6-foot-1, 195-pounder, as the Rams’ starting quarterback. Omar Kharroob will be the back up.
“We’re coming on strong,” Ellis said of the first three weeks of practice. “I’m ready to go. With the new staff and all the new players, (De Anza) isn’t going to know what to expect.”
Jeff Smith, a cornerback out of Gilroy High, has drawn repeated praise from Gilford during fall workouts.
“Jeff’s practiced very well,” said Gilford. “He’s aggressive, has good skills.”
Jakari Johnson, a Castlemont High product, has settled into the role of the primary running back for the Rams.
“Jakari has good speed, is elusive and is an all-around good football player,” Gilford said.
Johnson may need all of those talents to avoid DeAnza’s pair of all-conference defensive ends, Dan Winters (6-4, 245 from Willow Glen) and Omar Al-Helew (6-1, 220 from Santa Teresa.)
A primary target will be sophomore tight end Matt Schmidt, a 6-4, 245-pounder from Valley Christian. All of the De Anza running backs are freshmen.
“It’s a bear of a schedule,” Gilford said. “Our main goal is to compete, from the first to the last play.”
