GILROY—While other football players in California were sleeping and dreaming about the upcoming season, Christopher’s were watching their dream come true and working towards achieving a new one.
For the first time in school history, the Cougars celebrated their annual “Midnight Madness” by practicing on their brand new field, the Don Christopher Sports Complex. They became the first team in the state to practice at 12:01 a.m. Friday — the end of the California Interscholastic Federation’s two-week mandatory dead period—and the first to work towards their goal of a Central Coast Section championship.
Fans created a tunnel and cheered for the Cougars squad as they ran past them onto the field. For coach Tim Pierleoni, the experience was surreal.
Two years ago, Pierleoni talked with Christopher Ranch owner Don Christopher about what needed to happen to build a stadium at CHS. It’s been a long road— and there’s still more to do—but the Cougars finally have a place to call home.
“To be here now and it’s coming true, it’s unbelievable,” Pierleoni said. “I can’t thank him (Don Christopher) enough, the administration, the City of Gilroy, everybody who’s helped has helped out. I’m just really speechless to be honest with you—and that’s rare. It’s just a beautiful thing; it’s a beautiful field.”
It was the second Midnight Madness for junior quarterback Matt Adamkiewicz, but the first he had the chance to play in. Adamkiewicz led the JV team last season, but looked comfortable in his new varsity role as he tossed pass after pass into the arms of his receivers.
“We’ve been throwing almost everyday for like an hour to two hours a day,” Adamkiewicz said. “We’re just trying to keep the connection going, the chemistry going. I played with a couple of them last year on JV and the ones I didn’t get to play with, I worked extra hard (with them). We went out, we did it together.”
It was a long day for the Cougars, who reported to campus at 6 p.m. to set-up before they heard words of encouragement from Principle Paul Winslow, Assistant Principals Greg Kapaku and Justin Ponzio as well as Athletic Director Courtney Grimm. They were then treated to dinner cooked by team fathers—many of whom had been on campus since 10 a.m.—followed by speeches from three special guests.
Rhett Hall, who played defensive tackle for the 1994 Super Bowl Champion San Francisco 49ers and graduated from Live Oak, was the evening’s key note speaker. Hall passed around his Super Bowl ring to the Cougars and their fans—a physical symbol of his sweat, blood and tears—before sharing his keys to success that he said he hopes carry Christopher to a championship of its own: 1. Stay competitive for your spot, 2. Know the challenge for a championship starts the first day, 3. Have solid leaders and 4. Embrace the team attitude, become family.
The last, Hall said, was the most important as he recalls having his own high school football dreams realized.
“I remember more about that CCS Championship game than I do about the Super Bowl because of the guys I shared it with,” Hall said.
Well-known Gilroy coaches Bob Garcia and Edwin Diaz—who both coached Pierleoni in his playing days— also spoke to players and stressed the importance of hard work and commitment to the team.
“You could either walk out on the field knowing there’s no one on the other team that worked harder than you or you could have some doubts,” Diaz told Cougar players.
Christopher kicks off its season at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 5 against Sobrato at home.
