Often times the past is considered the greatest indicator of
what will happen in the future.
History doesn’t apply here
Often times the past is considered the greatest indicator of what will happen in the future.
But when it comes to this year’s Gilroy High football team, you can take all the old statistics and records and throw them (pass them?) out the window.
The Mustangs have put up points in bunches all year and are easily the highest scoring team in school history. Quarterback Jamie Jensen currently sits 12 yards shy of the Central Coast Section single-season record for yards passing (3,599) – which should be replaced by the end of the first offensive series against Los Gatos at San Jose City College Saturday at 7 p.m. – and the credit should be handed out with the same philanthropic spirit that Jensen has distributed the ball to his receivers.
From the coaches to the offensive linemen to the receivers to Jensen’ own hard work – he studied under quarterback guru Roger Theder once a week in the offseason, taking one of his GHS receivers with him each time to build chemistry – the Mustangs’ offense is a thing of beauty that can only be achieved when each part is moving in the same direction.
For the last month, however, the defense has been equally efficient.
Stuffing the run with consistency, getting three-and-out series and forcing turnovers (four in Saturday’s 38-22 win over Valley Christian), the Mustangs are now a two-headed monster.
Any team that thinks they can beat Gilroy by slowing down the offense is overlooking how hard it has become for opponents to score points of its own.
Putting aside individual stats for the time being, the highest single-season total for wins in GHS football history is a record that could become history with two more victories.
The 1985 Mustangs that lost in the CCS semifinals finished the year with a school-best 10-3 mark. A CCS title would put this year’s edition at an 11-2 record.
Coincidentally, that 1985 squad played Los Gatos in the semis and lost 14-10.
As the saying goes, “Those who forget history are prone to repeat it.”
But as previously stated, none of these players were alive in 1985, so forgetting it would be an impossibility.
News, Notes and Needless Observations:
– Junior safety Tony Travis is going to make quite a name for himself if he keeps playing like he did against Valley Christian. Travis drew the assignment to shadow over the top receiver David Henderson – who is considered a top-25 receiver in the state by Scout.com – on 90 percent of the defensive plays. Henderson finished with as many catches as Travis – who had one interception – and about twenty less yards receiving after Travis returned a pick to midfield.
Cornerback Alec De La Torre also had duties to cover Henderson, and finished with an interception as well.
– Travis Reyes had three touchdowns Saturday (making 19 on the season), but the crucial timing of the scores made them even more remarkable. GHS Coach Rich Hammond had this to say after the game, “He’s probably made more big plays this year, when we needed them, than anybody else.”
– Cheers to middle linebacker Michael Cano for a gutty performance, no pun intended, by playing through a stomach flu. Coming out of the game with sickness, Cano re-entered the contest shortly after to help stop the Warriors from mounting a comeback.
– The officiating was absolutely horrendous Saturday. Players for Valley Christian (and Gilroy to a lesser extent) could be seen leading with their heads, trying to deliver a knockout blow while also risking serious injury to themselves. A new rule added this year states, “Examples of illegal helmet contact that could result in disqualification include, but are not limited to: a) illegal helmet contact against an opponent lying on the ground; b) illegal helmet contact against an opponent being held up by other players; and c) illegal helmet-to-helmet contact against a defenseless opponent.”
I can think of three moments in particular that players tried to spear rather than tackle. One Warriors player was thrown out for repeated facemask violations at the end of the game, but a message for unsportsmanlike behavior should have been sent sooner.
– Another blown call in the game was a clear lateral by the Warriors that should have been a live ball but was blown dead. When a Gilroy player picked up the ball and ran the other way (after the whistle though), the refs called a delay of game penalty on the Mustangs.
It was a clear example of the refs feeling shown up, even though they made the wrong call, and trying to cover their behinds with a flag.
– One new rule that was added this year, and needs to be changed is Rule 8-2-2. The new rule allows “an enforcement option … when there is a foul by the opponent of a team scoring a touchdown. In addition to its previous option of accepting the result of the play and having the penalty enforced on the try-for-point, the scoring team may choose to have the foul enforced on the ensuing kickoff.”
Gilroy committed defensive pass interference on a touchdown catch by the Warriors in the second half, and then Valley Christian was given 15 extra yards on the kickoff. Tacking on personal fouls to kickoffs makes sense, but when it comes to pass interference, the only option should be to take the play or the penalty.
– You may think I don’t like referees after the last couple comments. Well, that’s only half true. I just don’t like incompetent referees.
