GHS football team opens T-CAL schedule on road against
Salinas
GILROY – Yet another new challenge presents itself for the gritty Gilroy High defense as the Mustang gridmen head down to ‘The Pit’ to take on reigning T-CAL Champion Salinas and its unique brand of option offense.
“They’re good all over. Everybody thought because they graduated a dominant senior class that they’d be down,” said head coach Darren Yafai of the 3-2 Cowboys. “What’s tough this week is they’re a pure option team. You have to really have disciplined option responsibilities and drill it in all week long… They run options so many different ways.”
The undersized Gilroy defense has met the challenge every week – including last Friday night’s masterful performance against Alvarez that allowed the late-game fireworks from the offense for the 14-14 tie. Time and time again the defense bailed out the turnover-prone offensive unit.
“Our defense bends, bends, bends, but doesn’t break. Then they’re opportunistic,” Yafai said. “We’re going to have to play an amazing football game to beat this team. We’re going to have to play by far and away our best game yet to beat this team.”
The Mustang ‘D’ is up against the biggest offensive line it has faced all season – anchored by senior All-League lineman Evan Smith (6-4, 240) – as well as another bruising runner in fullback Isaiah Nau.
“They have the best offensive lineman in the league,” Yafai said. “(Nau) is a lot like the fullback we saw last week. He’s a north-south runner, a big strong kid.”
Salinas also comes into Friday night’s match-up on a three-game winning streak – including an upset victory over Archbishop Mitty that then went on to knock off Serra, the top ranked team in the Central Coast Section. The Cowboys two losses came against two tough teams in Atascadero and Seaside.
“They’re kinda like us right now as far as they’re very young,” Yafai said. “The difference is they’re a lot bigger than us.”
That is not uncommon this season since the Mustangs field an undersized defensive unit – which is led by an athletic secondary and an all-heart front-line. In the first quarter, the defense has allowed teams to run on them. But the unit really bears down from there and is tough to score on in the final three quarters.
“The first quarter this season we’ve been a little soft on defense, a little undisciplined on defense. That’s something we keep talking to our kids about,” Yafai said. “I think it bit us last week. Had we been alive and ready to go at kickoff, we should have won that game. Our defense is great for three quarters, but they have to play great defense in first quarter.”
The Mustangs (4-0-1) fell behind early by two touchdowns – but the defense kept Alvarez out of the end zone from that point on to allow for the late-game heroics on offense.
“We’re undersized and we have some young kids and we may bend a little bit, but the kids play with a lot of heart and make the best of opportunities,” Yafai said. “Definitely, this year we’re having to do it by having a good pass defense. It’s been unwise for teams to throw on us.”
The Mustang secondary rotates four corners and three safeties in and out of the game – who all get the job done and prevent the long pass. Switching in at cornerback are senior Robert Daluz, senior Jimmy Miller, junior Shea Lemos and junior Louie Gutierrez. Taking turns at safety are juniors Jared Gamm, Jarod Kaczorowski and Justin Sabla.
“We’re using seven kids who are all playing a ton. Out of those seven kids, five are coming back next year,” Yafai said. “Our pass defense is a combination of good pass rushers on the D-line and athletic secondary players that are disciplined and coached up and opportunistic. When we get teams in pass situations, we have them right where we want them. What we have to continue to do is improve on our run defense.”
In the trenches for the Mustangs are defensive linemen with no quit in them. Senior defensive ends Korey Gray – a returning starter – and Nick Mason – a first-year starter – continue to pester quarterbacks and not give up the outside to running backs.
“One of biggest surprises and bright spots on the D-line has been Nick Mason. He’s a big kid. He’s probably 6-5, 220. He dedicated himself in the offseason to weight training. He grew an inch or two and put on 15 pounds,” Yafai said. “He’s been very solid defensively at strong side defensive end – which we call our stud end… He’s got to be Mr. Everything over there.”
Gilroy’s interior defense relies on senior nose guard Jonathan Vasquez (5-11, 220) and his younger brother, junior John Paul Vasquez to stuff the inside bull rushes.
“(Jonathan) is a tough kid. He got a lot of experience last year,” Yafai said. “We got his brother to come out this year. He’s a junior. (John Paul) lifted hard in the offseason, learned the game, went to a couple of camps… He’s got the tools at 6-0, 230.”
In addition, a key substitute for the Mustang defensive line has been sophomore nose guard Marcus Munoz.
Kick-off at ‘The Pit’ at Salinas High is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
“We’re real excited about playing there because our kids have never played on the new synthetic grass. It’s not Astroturf. Astroturf is shorter and harder,” Yafai said. “I think our kids are going to be excited and fired up about it. The Pit, it’s a mini stadium… It’s one of best high school venues around. I think opponents get fired up to go down and play there just because of the atmosphere.”
The Mustang offense turned the ball over five times last week – but found a way in the second half to claw back for the tie. Senior tailback Melvin Bryant scored on a 15-yard run in the third quarter. Senior quarterback Ben Hemeon was clutch when it counted – hitting Gamm for a 39-yard touchdown pass with 39 ticks left and then finding senior tight end Roger Ortiz for the game-tying two-point conversion.
“Start fast and hold onto the ball,” said Yafai of the keys to the game. “That Alvarez game, we turned the ball over five times. If we turn the ball over twice in that Alvarez game, we win that game. That’s uncharacteristic of us.”
