Rams hope to regain momentum against Mendocino on Saturday night
at Gilroy High School
GILROY – While the Gavilan Rams will use Saturday’s non-Coast Conference football game with Mendocino to regain momentum toward a winning season and bowl bid, the Eagles have a slightly different objective.
Are you ready for a touchdown? If not, would the Eagles settle for a field goal?
When the Rams and Eagles collide at 2:30 p.m. at Mustang Stadium, one ongoing goal of the Eagles will be to find the opponent’s end zone. After three games, Mendocino has not only failed to cross the goal line for a touchdown. The team has not sent a football through the forward uprights for a field goal.
Mendocino does have a safety to its name, accomplished last weekend in a 23-2 loss to Coast Conference member Hartnell. Prior to that offensive showing, the Eagles, under first-year head coach Tom Gang, drew blanks against Santa Rosa (55-0) and Los Medanos (31-0).
“We’re a young team, still trying to find itself,” said Gang of the frosh-dominated Eagles. “It’s taken a while to get going, but I think we’re on the edge of breaking out.”
Gang has not settled on a starter at quarterback for the game, waiting until after today’s practice to choose between a sophomore or a freshman. The Eagle coach also announced that the Eagles will not have the services of wide-out Montez Bridgeforth because of a team rules violation. Gang’s top receivers will be Dustin Brown (Number 81) and Derek Williams (9), both freshmen. Topping the defensive unit for Mendocino is tackle Brian Sallee (90), a 6-foot-4, 255-opound sophomore.
Gavilan coach John Lango and his staff have prepped for the Eagle game with a quiet confidence, aware that the Rams have already posted a victory against a strong team (Merced) and the hosts should be in control against a scoring-challenged Mendocino club.
“We should win this football game,” Lango said. The Rams have spent the week’s practices returning to basics, keying on improved tackling.
“”We can’t come out flat (Saturday) and expect to play well,” said Lango. “We’ve worked on eliminating mental mistakes, making sure we have no wrong assignment alignments or any coverage mistakes.
“The best part of the Mendocino team is its defense. We need to execute our offense better starting Saturday.”
Gavilan completes the pre-conference schedule with a home date against College of San Mateo on Oct. 4, then a trip to Visalia to play College of Sequioas Oct. 11. The Rams are one of three Coast Conference members (along with Hartnell and DeAnza) at 1-2. Cabrillo and Monterey Peninsula College sport 0-3 marks. Cabrillo visits San Mateo Saturday at 1 p.m., while MPC hosts winless Contra Costa at 6 p.m.
