Gilroy High football coach Darren Yafai wasn’t surprised.
Offensive coordinator Tim Pierleoni said he wasn’t, either.
Gilroy High football coach Darren Yafai wasn’t surprised. Offensive coordinator Tim Pierleoni said he wasn’t, either.
The seeds of Justin Sweeney’s eye-opening performance in the Mustangs’ 23-21 win over Burlingame Friday – the 183 rushing yards, the two touchdowns and even the key interception on defense – were planted back in 2003.
A sophomore on the JV squad, Sweeney was called up to varsity in November and provided a spark in the team’s final three games, including a team-high, 97-yard performance at Live Oak.
“We knew he was a player,” Pierleoni said. “There wasn’t much doubt about that.”
To earn this season’s coveted starting spot, though, Sweeney said he knew he had to get better.
“I had to prove it during the offseason and in practice,” he said. “So I got stronger and faster.
“I lifted as hard as I could.”
That’s coming from a guy that never touched a weight until last year.
“I think those three games last year made him understand the difference from JV,” Pierleoni said. “The defenders are just faster and stronger.
“So he became more mature and worked his rear off. He really got after it.”
So did his blockers.
The inexperienced unit that started two sophomores last season, “as a group, worked harder than anyone” this offseason, Pierleoni said.
On a night when Sweeney averaged over eight yards a carry, the hard work paid off.
“Those are some big guys in front of me,” said Sweeney, also a punt returner and part-time defensive back. “We both did our part. I found a few holes and just ran.”
When Burlingame cut the Gilroy lead to 17-14 late in the third quarter, Sweeney answered the Panthers’ nine-minute drive with just two runs.
The first one produced 11 yards. The second one produced six points.
On a 49-yard sprint down the right sideline, Sweeney showed not only his quicker speed, but also his added strength in holding off two or three would-be tacklers.
“I’ve told him he’s a very talented young man,” Pierleoni said, “but also that there’s a million talented young men – the ones who work hard are the ones who succeed.
“I think he’s starting to realize that now.”
