GILROY—For the first time in a decade, Gavilan is 2-0. This week, the Rams are looking to do something they haven’t since before most of the team was even born—improve to 3-0.
Gavilan traveled to Mendocino on Sept. 13 and delivered a decisive 64-22 victory amid the sweltering 100-plus degree weather. A win over Yuba this week would give the Rams their best start to the season since 1994 and given the numbers they’ve put up to date, the odds are in their favor.
Gavilan, which is ranked No. 14 in Northern California and is knocking at the door of the state’s Top 25 rankings, has outscored its opponents 127-72 in the first two weeks and features Drew Fryhoff, a quarterback who has already thrown for 622 yards and eight touchdowns. He had another stellar performance against the Eagles, going 18 for 26 for 260 yards and three touchdowns—including a 53-yarder to Armani Miller in the midst of Gavilan scoring 43 unanswered points.
The Rams showed tremendous balance, picking up 311 yards on the ground which was a huge improvement from the 78 they had against Shasta. Miguel Redmond led the charge with 16 carries for 132 yards and two TDs.
“I think at this point it’s just the next step in what we’ve been working on since I got here in 2011,” Rams coach Spencer Gilford said of being undefeated. “We continue to improve, continue to get better and that’s just the next step. By no means are we close to accomplishing anything because it’s only been two games. We have to have some understanding that we’ve only played two games. We have eight, hopefully nine, more games to go if we continue to improve and go down this path.”
The next stop on Gavilan’s journey to an 11-game season is the 0-2 Yuba which, despite its record, isn’t a team to take lightly. The Athletics lost 36-24 to Merced last week, but won the battle of total offensive yards 395-324.
Yuba was most efficient in the air, as quarterbacks Datwon Melvin and Dylan Campbell combined for 215 yards. Melvin connected for two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions—one of which Merced turned into a 40-yard pick six. The Rams haven’t thrown an interception yet and have lost only one fumble.
Gavilan’s defense has four fumble recoveries so far and saw a 99-yard pick six from Pat McQueen against Mendocino. It’s these things, Gilford said, which will make the difference come Saturday.
“Turnovers have been the key—it’s been that way in each game,” he said. “The team that has won the turnover battle has won the game and I don’t foresee it being any different in this game either.”
The Rams’ young defense showed great improvement against Mendocino, allowing almost 200 yards fewer than it had to Shasta. It’s given up the most yardage in the air, however, and with an Athletic offense whose strength lies in its passing game, Gavilan needs to cut off the aerial attack.
But even if both teams are playing their best, momentum is often easy shifted by penalities. Both Yuba and Gavilan have been plagued by yellow flags this season. The Rams have 28 for 353 yards so far, while Yuba has 29 for 200.
“We’ve been talking—our coaching staff as well as our players—about really understanding the importance of correcting mistakes,” Gilford said. “When we have something that we’re doing well, continue doing it well. We’re building on some things and Yuba is our next test, because they’re this week’s opponent, to see the things that we’ve corrected and the things we still need to work on or get better at.”
Gavilan (2-0) will host Yuba (0-2) at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Garcia-Elder Sports Complex.
