During the last few weeks, GHS students have been doing a lot of
moaning and groaning about their football team.
During the last few weeks, GHS students have been doing a lot of moaning and groaning about their football team.
After starting 1-3 and suffering devastating losses to Oak Grove and Serra, the ?Stangs season appeared to be going nowhere fast. Fortunately for GHS fans, last Friday the team was able to rebound and pull out a 36-14 victory over league opponent Salinas. Although the Mustangs were not flawless, they showed flashes of brilliance and signs that they will be a legitimate contender for a league title.
Gilroy was completely dominated by Serra and Oak Grove. First downs were hard to come by against the Eagles, and the defense appeared all but lost. On Friday, with the lights shining down on Garcia-Elder field, the Mustangs looked like a completely different team. They controlled every facet of the game, offensively and defensively.
The Mustangs were able to come up with key defensive stops and run the ball at will. For the first time this year, everyone showed up to play for all 48 minutes.
The biggest improvement by far was on the offensive line. Throughout the game, they moved like a cohesive unit and effortlessly followed their blocking schemes. Quarterback Marc Vegas was rarely flushed out of the pocket, while running backs Paul Gonzalez and Danny Contreras found many holes to run through.
Offensive lineman often go unnoticed in big games, but last Friday they took center stage. Senior leaders Jonathon Bobadilla and Carlos Estrada led the charge for the Mustangs? big men.
The importance of confidence in sports can never be underestimated. It?s always a determining factor in which direction the game will go. Last week?s win gave the varsity squad exactly what it needed.
Now 1-0 in league, the Mustangs are back in the game. The losses to Oak Grove and Serra are a distant memory. Now they need to build on this momentum so they can reach their full potential as a team.
Coach Rich Hammond?s choice to schedule tough competition during the preseason appears to have been beneficial for the boys in blue. The Mustangs face Alvarez and Alisal in their next two games. Both teams are newcomers to the Tri-County Athletic League and should not be overlooked.
However, neither team is reputed to be as tough as the competition Gilroy faced earlier this year. (Oak Grove is currently ranked #1 in CCS while Serra is ranked #5.)
If all goes well for the Mustangs, they will be sitting 4-3 before their clash with perennial powerhouse Palma on November 3. According to senior starting linebacker Tyler Maslanka, there is no room for a Mustang meltdowagainst Alvarez or Alisal.
?If we learn our assignments and play hard on both sides of the ball, we will be successful,? Maslanka says. ?The next two weeks for us are extremely important. We need to maintain our momentum and confidence from here on out.?
Michael Stevens is a senior at Gilroy High.
