Gilroy builds big first-half lead, gets three TD passes from
Vegas
Salinas – This time, Gilroy was able to stem the momentum turn.
Like two weeks ago, the Mustangs played a near-perfect first half and led by three touchdowns. And like two weeks ago, they lost their footing when an opponent scored on its first possession of the second half.
But a 34-yard kickoff return by Marc Vegas kickstarted the GHS offense and the Mustangs went on to down North Salinas 35-20 Friday in a Tri-County Athletic League encounter at the Salinas Sports Complex.
“We got off to a slow start in the second half and needed a spark,” Vegas said. “I just tried to do what I could do.”
Gilroy (4-5 overall, 3-2 TCAL) pitched a first half shutout not only in points but in first downs. Two Vegas-to-Danny Contreras touchdown connections and an 8-yard run by the senior quarterback staked the Mustangs to a 21-0 halftime lead. At that point, the Vikings had zero first downs and 39 yards of total offense.
But North Salinas (2-8, 1-5) put together a 19-play, 93-yard drive capped by Devin Camel’s 3-yard TD run that consumed 7 minutes, 51 seconds.
Vegas fielded the ensuing short kickoff and returned it 34 yards to the Vikings’ 40. Five plays later, Paul Gonzales scored on a 13-yard run that restored a three-touchdown lead.
North Salinas again countered as Mark Ramos bolted 55 yards to set up Michael Delreal’s 8-yard TD run with 11:20 left in the game.
GHS then mounted a 10-play, 68-yard drive capped by Vegas’ third touchdown pass of the game, a 14-yarder to Marshad Johnson with 7:27 remaining. Contreras’ 32-yard run was the big play in the drive.
Delreal scored with 45 seconds left in the game.
“We came out strong, we came out with heart,” GHS junior defensive back Dennis Rathi said. “Everyone was really pumped up. And then we kind of fell asleep. We should have had the fight in us like we had in the first half. We’ve got to keep it going in both halves.”
Unlike against Alisal two weeks earlier, Gilroy did not let a three-touchdown lead disappear this time. While the offensive performance was a bit uneven, the Mustangs got big plays from Vegas and Contreras when they needed them.
GHS was able to rack up 325 yards of total offense even with the Vikings becoming the first league team to hold Gonzales under 100 yards rushing. With North Salinas obviously keying its defense on Gonzales, the senior back rushed 10 times for just 17 first-half yards.
Bringing a safety up close to the line of scrimmage allowed Vegas to exploit 1-on-1 coverage and he threw for 127 yards in the first half. Gonzales, who finished with 18 carries for 71 yards, caught five passes for 56 yards.
“We played lights-out defense in the first half,” GHS coach Rich Hammond said. “Then we played scary defense in the second half. The good news is we have another week. When the defense got down, the offense stepped up and did good things.”
Sub-varsity: The much ballyhooed junior varsity matchup between once-beatens Gilroy and North Salinas never materialized when the Mustangs forfeited because of issues a day earlier in the high school. The GHS freshmen (5-4) made it three straight wins by whipping the Vikings 35-0.
