GILROY – The six-team Coast Conference football experience once
again appears to be a wide-open series of games leading to the 2009
championship and a postseason bowl bid.
Of the six member schools, only San Jose City College at 4-1 has
a winning record.
GILROY – The six-team Coast Conference football experience once again appears to be a wide-open series of games leading to the 2009 championship and a postseason bowl bid.
Of the six member schools, only San Jose City College at 4-1 has a winning record.
“Once conference starts, you throw the records out the window,” De Anza head coach Dan Atencio said.
“This looks like a typical Coast Conference where anybody can beat anyone else on a particular Saturday,” added Atencio, whose Dons play at Garcia-Elder Sports Complex Saturday against the host Gavilan Rams.Kick-off is 7 p.m.
“De Anza and Gavilan typically play a close game. This week’s game should be close. Gavilan has some fine players and they have been improving every week.”
Atencio, who was the head coach in 1998 for Gavilan, is in his fourth year directing the Dons. After dropping a 17-14 game in overtime in 2006, Atencio’s Dons earned wins over the Rams in 2007 (28-25) and 2008 (31-24).
“It’s like starting a brand new season,” Gavilan head coach John Lango said. “The players know that it’s for real now.”
Gavilan has shared three conference titles in Lango’s nine years at the helm, each time dropping at least one conference game.
De Anza brings a 2-3 record into the conference opener. The Dons topped Contra Costa 68-41, while Gavilan’s lone victory in five outings is a 73-32 rout over Contra Costa.
West Valley, the lone winless team in the Coast Conference, dropped a 20-17 decision to Contra Costa. Hartnell, at 1-4, topped Contra Costa 34-16. Monterey Peninsula College, at 2-3, did not play Contra Costa in pre-conference competition.
Kevin Vye of Gilroy is the sophomore starting quarterback for De Anza. Vye has thrown for 1,043 yards, 11 touchdowns and only one interception this season.
Vye’s top targets are Kendall Hendon — who has 21 catches, including six for touchdowns — and Greg Walton, who’s caught 22 balls for 269 yards and one touchdown.
Alonzo Parks paces the De Anza ground game with 396 yards on 63 carries, including four touchdowns.
Gavilan’s quarterbacking duties were shared last week by Mike Incardona and Matt Edwards in the loss to Sacramento City College. Incardona has covered 871 yards on 72 of 139 pass attempts, including seven touchdowns. Edwards is 17 of 27 with two touchdowns.
Sean Hale leads the improving Gavilan ground game with 267 yards and two scores. Andrew Gayles trails with 212 yards and one touchdown. Jeff Roberts, who’s seen limited time this season, has the team’s longest rushing play with a 43-yarder against Contra Costa.
