Against Burlingame last week, Gilroy’s defensive effort left
something to be desired.
Gilroy – Against Burlingame last week, Gilroy’s defensive effort left something to be desired.
This week, the defense stepped things up and ended defending Central Coast Section Division II champion Woodside’s two-year undefeated run on the field.
In the first official GHS game played on the new Garcia-Elder field Friday night, the Mustangs (2-0) pounded the Wildcats (0-1) 35-8 in a game that was just about over after the first half.
According to senior defensive end and center Bobby Best, who had a sack and several key tackles in the game, a little extra practice and some cardiovascular conditioning helped whip the defense into shape for Woodside.
“Yes, that was a big turnaround from last week,” said Best about the defense after the game. “We hustled (in practice) so we’d be better prepared.”
The Gilroy defense was strongest in the first half and got after it from the first Wildcat drive. With Woodside on their own 32 on 2nd-and-1, the ‘Stangs stopped the Wildcats on the next two plays, forcing a punt.
On Gilroy’s first offensive drive of the night, Justin Sweeney scored from 22 yards out with 7:52 left in the first quarter. After another defensive stop, Sweeney scored his second touchdown of the night. On that one, the senior running back, who finished with 176 yards on 21 carries, took a pitch out from senior quarterback Nick Tovar, stutter-stepped to a stop in the middle of the field and accelerated through a hole into the endzone for an 18-yard run. Senior kicker Neil Martin (5-for-5 PATs) made both PATs after Sweeney’s two touchdowns to give the ‘Stangs a 14-0 lead heading into the second quarter.
In the opening minute of the second quarter, Tovar (3-for-9, 24 yards) connected with senior tight end Steven Quistian on a 19-yard toss into the endzone. That play was set up by runs from junior running back Paul Gonzalez (4 yards), senior fullback Stefon McCrimon (16 yards) and Sweeney (9 yards) at the end of the first quarter. Another Martin kick for the extra point made it 21-0 Gilroy. On defense a minute later, Sweeney intercepted a pass from Woodside quarterback Matt Pelesasa. Though Gilroy didn’t capitalize on the interception, the ‘Stangs held the Wildcats in their own territory for the remainder of the half.
“I was pleased because I thought last week (on defense), we played the run good and the pass poor,” said Gilroy head coach Darren Yafai, who’s also in charge of the Mustang defense after a five-year hiatus. “I was real happy we played a complete defensive game.”
Gilroy extended its lead to 28-0 with 2:01 left in the third quarter when Gonzalez took off for a 17-yard touchdown run to the outside and Martin converted the PAT.
With a little over a minute remaining until the fourth quarter, Woodside pulled out a trick play to score its only touchdown of the night. On second down at his own 15, Pelesasa pitched the ball to his right to Jim Moors, who threw a 30-yard completion to Andrew Simmons. Simmons caught the ball at the Gilroy 45-yard line and ran the down the sideline for an 85-yard score. Pelesasa found Moors on the ensuing 2-point conversion to make it 28-8.
With a little over a minute remaining in the game, Woodside threatened to score again, reaching the Gilroy 1-yard line. But senior Mustang cornerback Jay Raven ruined any hope Woodside had of cutting into the lead anymore when he intercepted Pelesasa’s pass to Moors, then ran it back down the left sideline for a 99-yard touchdown. It was Raven’s second interception of the night, his first coming in the opening minutes of the third quarter.
Offensively, Gilroy still relied heavily on the running game, but it was more spread around than it was against Burlingame.
“It was a team effort, more of a team effort than last game,” Sweeney said.
Behind Sweeney in rushing yardage was McCrimon, who had 91 yards on 10 carries.
“Stefon is a great story because last year, he was a third-string fullback,” Yafai said. “He is a completely different football player than last year.”
Junior Varsity Wins
The Gilroy JV team improved to 2-0 by defeating Woodside 13-0 Friday evening. Stephen Gutierrez scored Gilroy’s first touchdown in the opening drive of the first quarter. In the third quarter, Jeff Garcia forced a Woodside fumble in the endzone and Michael Cano fell on the ball for the JV Mustangs’ second and final score.
JV coach Jack Daley praised the defense, which held the Wildcats scoreless.
“The whole defense did a great job,” he said.
