It seems hard to believe.
But according to Gilroy football captain Bobby Best, a majority
of the Mustangs are even more fired up for tonight’s game at Palma
than they were for last week’s Prune Bowl.
It seems hard to believe.
But according to Gilroy football captain Bobby Best, a majority of the Mustangs are even more fired up for tonight’s game at Palma than they were for last week’s Prune Bowl.
“There aren’t too many people who are happy right now,” the junior center said. “Me personally – I’m mad.”
Funny what a loss will do to a team.
Still smarting from a heartbreaking 7-6 loss to archrival Hollister, the Mustangs (5-1) travel to the Salinas Sports Complex for a 7:30 game against perennially powerhouse Palma.
Against the Chieftains (4-1-1/2-0 TCAL), Gilroy will look to avoid starting out 0-2 in league play for the third straight year.
“It’s not like it’s a secret,” GHS senior quarterback Peter Mickartz said. “Gilroy usually starts out strong and falls apart in league.
“All the players really don’t want that to happen again.”
Added senior linebacker Jared Gamm: “That’s definitely a motivator.”
So starting this week, it’s “make or break” time, as Best put it.
“This year,” he said, “we want to be able to say to everyone, ‘No, we are better than that.'”
They’ll have to prove it against a team Gilroy hasn’t beaten in years. For the past six seasons, the two programs have played in the same league – first Monterey Bay, now Tri-County – and the Chieftains have won every meeting handily.
“Palma is the team we’ve always wanted to beat,” Mickartz said. “We never have.”
It seems the Salinas private school, which will be celebrating homecoming tonight, always has a leg up on the competition.
“I’ve never bought into the recruiting thing,” GHS head coach Darren Yafai said, “but their combination of a good education and a winning football tradition attracts the athletic, disciplined kid.
“If anybody says they don’t get the great athletes, that’s wrong.”
And if anyone says quarterback Chad Bozzo isn’t one of those great athletes, they’d be wrong, too.
The third-year starter does it all for the defending CCS D1 champions.
Through the air, Bozzo is 52-of-87 for 602 yards and five touchdowns. On the ground, he’s rushed 66 times for 304 yards and six more touchdowns.
In his Palma’s 7-7 tie against nationally-ranked De La Salle, Bozzo ran the ball 24 times for 90 yards and the game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter.
“He’s probably one of the best all-around football players in the whole Bay Area,” Yafai said. “Big, strong, athletic, fast, has a great arm, great vision. He’s the whole package.”
Bozzo, who has led his team to 28-13 and 27-0 victories over Gilroy the last two seasons, made a lasting impression on GHS defensive coordinator Greg Garcia during last season’s game.
“Let me put it like this,” he said. “We brought the blitz on him last year and gave him a concussion … and he still scored a touchdown on us.
“Yeah, he’s a stud.”
About 70 percent of Palma’s yards this year have come on the ground – eight different players have rushed in TDs – but the Chieftains also have a major threat in their passing game.
Six-foot-five wideout Michael Wilrodt is second in TCAL with 26 catches for 299 yards and four touchdowns.
“They’ve got a lot of weapons. That doesn’t ever change,” Yafai said. “I’ve never seen a Palma varsity team with a major weakness.
“They’re always strong in all areas.”
