Alumni games typically have a three-part formula. First, you
have a set of current high school players in tip-top shape who are
looking to show up their elders.
Alumni games typically have a three-part formula.
First, you have a set of current high school players in tip-top shape who are looking to show up their elders.
Second, there are a few former players who have managed to retain some of their former athletic ability, and want to prove they’re not past their prime.
And last, you have your out-of-shape, over-the-hill old men, who thought it would be a good idea to see what a jersey two sizes too small looks like when stretched over a well-developed gut.
The result of these three groups coming together is usually a blowout win for the youngsters, and a flood of memories washing back over the alumni after the contest.
Well, memories were certainly shared before and after Wednesday night’s match between the Gilroy High boys soccer team and a collection of past GHS players, but the above-mentioned formula (guts included) didn’t apply as age accepted the call and came before beauty.
Under the bright lights of Garcia-Elder Sports Complex, the alumni won a fiercely competitive match, 2-1.
Evy Diaz de Leon (Class of ’05) scored the game’s first goal off a rebound in the 13th minute. Almost 20 minutes later, GHS senior Kevin Grove headed in a corner kick from Oscar Zuniga to tie the match. But just a minute after Grove’s goal, the alumni got the decisive point when Noel Vera (Class of ’07) cruised through the right side of the defense and netted a shot from 10 yards out.
It is the third year in a row the alumni game has been played after a near decade-long hiatus. The contest also marked the third-straight year the final score finished at 2-1, with the alumni winning the game this season and in 2005-06.
“The most beneficial thing (from the game) is the camaraderie between the alumni and the high school team,” said Jose Mendoza (Class of ’92), who coached this year’s alumni squad.
While players on both sides could be seen smiling and shaking hands during play, the intensity level of the game was a clip above your average contest. With 16 of the 26 alumni players having college-level experience, seven of whom are still playing anywhere from local junior colleges to the elite college ranks, the talent of Gilroy High’s opponents was arguably equal, if not greater, than what the Mustangs will see the rest of the year.
“The most important thing for us is this shows we can play with the speed and strength of teams we’re going to face for a league title and [Central Coast Section playoffs],” GHS co-head coach Brian Hall said.
Hall added that if just one of his players was able to take away a learning experience from being around past Gilroy greats, the game was well worth the time, win or lose.
One of those players who seemed to have gained something was freshman forward Jorge Sanchez.
“I thought it was an honor to play with these guys,” Sanchez said. “I think [the alumni game] is great for the families and tradition.”
For someone like Ricardo Espinosa (Class of ’87), who missed out on alumni games following his graduation, the game’s setup – which included special-made jerseys with class years on the back for numbers – reminded him of the way things used to be.
“Back when I was in high school, we used to have alumni games (every year) and they were a blast,” Espinosa said.
Alfonso Motagalvan (Class of ’05), who now plays for UC Santa Barbara and is considered the greatest soccer player to ever put on cleats for Gilroy, said the game, which was played in front of more than 100 spectators, was more than he expected.
“[The intensity] was actually pretty incredible for an alumni game,” Motagalvan said.
This comes from a player who often has six to seven thousand people watching each of his contests in college.
While this year’s GHS soccer team came up just short in a match that had plenty of bragging rights on the line, Grove, a senior captain, said this contest could be what brings the Mustangs (8-3-3) together going forward.
“Last year, this was our turnaround game, and we went on to win CCS,” Grove said.
The record doesn’t lie as the team went 13-0-3 in its last 16 games.
If Gilroy can duplicate that run this season, you can forget about silly formulas. The Mustangs will have found the perfect recipe for success.
