GILROY
– Although two straight winning seasons were darkened by last
year’s dismal 2-8 campaign, the Gilroy High football team returns
re-energized and re-stocked for another pigskin season in the
rough-and-tumble Tri-County Athletic League.
GILROY – Although two straight winning seasons were darkened by last year’s dismal 2-8 campaign, the Gilroy High football team returns re-energized and re-stocked for another pigskin season in the rough-and-tumble Tri-County Athletic League.
“Win or lose this year we like the group of kids we have – which is nice,” fifth-year head coach Darren Yafai said. “Obviously, we go into every season shooting to win games and make the playoffs. We’re a much improved team over the last year even though we’re younger and we have a much improved attitude.”
The Mustang gridmen got an early jumpstart to their preseason when the entire team and coaching staff headed down to Camp Hunter Liggett for a special getaway training session on the army base. This was the second year in a row for the team trip.
“Last year it was a good experience, but the squad questioned certain things and didn’t buy into what we were doing. There was some questioning and complaining,” Coach Yafai said. “This year they were excited to go do stuff together. That squad last year looked at it as a chore. This year they looked at it as a vacation.”
A more unified Gilroy unit was the immediate result – adding to the players and coaches excitement to get back to work on the gridiron.
“This year we have a good feeling about our junior and senior class, and then throw in the sophomores we have up on varsity,” Yafai said. “These kids enjoy each other’s company and seem to like each other and work well together. That’s a big part of building a bond and developing good team chemistry.”
The right mix is just what the Mustangs need with a tough non-league and T-CAL schedule, starting at home against Terra Nova – which went undefeated at 10-0 last year, including an opening thrashing of Gilroy, and was its league champion. Other non-league games include perennial power San Lorenzo Valley – which finished 10-0 with a league title last season and Alvarez – which went 7-2-1 and qualified for CCS last year.
“We did that because we had two straight good seasons and we went to the section playoffs. We were happy about that and we needed to take another step up and beat the best,” said Yafai of the tough scheduling outside T-CAL. “We went out and got some tough non-league games to prepare us for T-CAL.”
Yafai was looking ahead to league foes such as private power Palma (9-1 last year) and T-CAL Champion Salinas along with hard-hitting Hollister and upstart North Salinas – which returns playmaker Ronnie Drummer this season.
“If we had played the non-league schedule from the previous year, we would not have been 2-8. We probably would have been 5-5,” Yafai said. “That’s just the path we chose and we couldn’t get it done.”
The Mustangs hope to pave a new path this season and get the job done. They will rely heavily on two returning senior starters in quarterback Ben Hemeon and running back Melvin Bryant. Both suffered injuries in their junior years (Hemeon’s ribs and Bryant’s wrist), but both are bigger and stronger for their final seasons.
“We’re excited about it,” said Yafai of Hemeon’s return. “He’s got a year of quarterbacking under his belt at the varsity level and seems to be real confident.”
As for Bryant, the coach said: “He makes people miss. He doesn’t have breakaway speed. For a tailback, he’s got above-average speed… But he has incredible footwork and the ability to make people miss. He’s got great running back vision where he can find seams in a front.”
The young offensive line in front of him will be anchored by senior guard Jose Albarron and junior guard John Torres as well as senior tight ends Roger Ortiz and Brian Teeling.
“Both of them have starting experience and both are pretty good,” said Yafai of his tight ends. “You might see some double tight end action this year.”
Gilroy ‘Z’ back spot has a flood of talented candidates – including junior Shea Lemos (who played the final two games on varsity), senior Jason Ahumada (who started a couple of games last year and got a lot of action), junior Louie Gutierrez (who started at tailback on JV last season), and senior Jimmy Miller (who was a standout on JV two years ago but could not get his grades up to play last season).
“The Z position runs a lot of sweeps and we have a ton of depth there,” Yafai said. “We have four Zs with a lot of ability and a lot of skill.”
On the other side of the ball, the Mustangs return a handful of players – highlighted by senior defensive linemen Korey Gray and Jonathan Vasquez.
At linebacker, senior Danny Melendez will step in after playing in every game last year and starting in three.
“He’s a real team leader, a vocal team leader,” said Yafai of Melendez.
Senior Nick Fortino joins the linebacker corps. after starting three games at nose tackle last season and then getting action at inside backer before breaking his arm in week seven.
“He was a bright spot and he’s gotten bigger and stronger this year,” said Yafai of Fortino who grew two inches and put on 15 pounds of muscle in the offseason. “He’s one who really put a lot of time in the weight room.”
The Mustang secondary will place senior Robert Daluz and Lemos at the corners. They will be helped out by junior strong safety Jarod Kaczorowski and junior free safety Jared Gamm – who was an outside linebacker on JV last year.
“They’ve been defensive teammates since their Pop Warner days,” said Yafai of his safeties. “Our free safety and strong safety have to be on the same page. They’re like our quarterbacks on defense… We have a lot of depth in the secondary.”
The Mustangs are hoping to rise above their shortcomings of last season and be a unified, competitive squad this year. But after a brutal non-league schedule, the monsters of T-CAL await.
“We’ve got a good young squad with good talent and we have some surprising team speed,” Yafai said. “Palma is going to be very, very good. North Salinas has Drummer who is the best running back in the section… Salinas has a ton of talent so they’re going to be very good. Hollister, Live Oak, and Gilroy are all trying to rebound from subpar seasons.”
