‘Stangs face a tough hurdle in Woodside; Niners take on Rams
It’s time to strap up for another weekend of football – including the first full slate of National Football League games on Sunday.
Here’s a preview of all the important matchups:
Woodside at Gilroy
When the lights go on over the first official high school game to be played on the Garcia-Elder Sports Complex field tonight, the Gilroy football team will be looking for is second win of the season.
That task doesn’t sound too daunting until you consider Gilroy’s opponent, Woodside (0-0), which hasn’t lost a game in two years.
Last year, the perennially powerful small school went 13-0 en route to a Division II Central Coast Section title. In 2003, the team was 8-2, but the losses stemmed from forfeits caused by a late season locker room incident.
The good news for Gilroy (1-0) is that the Wildcats return just three players from last year’s squad. Still, Gilroy coach Darren Yafai isn’t taking the Mustangs Week 1 opponent, who played as a “B” Division team last year, lightly.
“Any time you go 13-0, no matter what league you’re in, you’re an awesome football team,” Yafai said.
The key for the Gilroy defense will be stopping Woodside’s option offense.
“We have to know our option responsibilities,” Yafai said.
Gilroy and Woodside, which haven’t played each other since the 1995 CCS playoffs, are about even size-wise. But Yafai expects Woodside, unlike last week’s opponent Burlingame, to be a very aggressive football team. And Woodside’s quarterback, junior Matt Pelesasa, is big – about 6-foot-2, 210, Yafai estimated.
Gilroy’s Nick Tovar, who completed three of four passes against Burlingame, will start at quarterback for the Mustangs for the second week in a row. Yafai is also happy to welcome back junior starting lineman Jonathan Bobadilla, who returns from a knee injury.
To Gilroy’s advantage, the Mustangs have already put their opening night jitters behind them, while this will be Woodside’s opener. Yafai hopes his team will make fewer mental mistakes, which made last week’s game against Burlingame closer than it might have been. Missing players on PATs, and penalties for too many players on the field plagued the Mustangs on a handful of occasions.
“‘Know your personnel groups,'” Yafai described telling his players in practice, “‘the special teams you’re on so that there are no mental breakdowns. You’re not going to be a well-oiled machine the first game, but we also expect (Woodside) to be more disciplined than (Gilroy was in its opener).'”
The Mustangs and Wildcats kickoff tonight at 7:30pm.
Gavilan at Marin
Gavilan’s Coast Conference rival DeAnza beat College of Marin handily last Saturday, running up a 48-0 score on the Bay Valley Conference squad.
The Rams aren’t looking past the Mariners, but Gavilan certainly ought to pick up its game against College of Marin after last Saturday’s disappointing 25-22 season-opening loss to West Valley.
Rams head coach John Lango reports that his team has had several excellent practices in the week after that letdown. He and his staff have named two offensive captains, sophomore fullback Nick Fortino and sophomore wide receiver Shane Butcher, joining defensive captains Bradley Niles, a sophomore linebacker, and Mike Lango, a second-year noseguard.
“We struggled against West Valley,” Lango said Thursday about the Rams’ penalty and turnover-filled opener. “It kind of burst our bubble, because we were expecting to go strong out of the gates.
“But today was a great practice, we really progressed. We just have to compete and play our game.”
Lango, looking at three games against tough opponents in the weeks following College of Marin, said the Rams plan to use Saturday’s game in Kentfield to work on their running game.
“Our quarterback (Matt Virus) struggled a bit (against West Valley), so because the next three games will be extremely tough, we want to establish a ground game against Marin,” Lango said.
The Mariners are a program in transition, with Karl Finley in only his second year as head coach after replacing Tim Adams. Recruiting and rebuilding has been tough for once-strong Marin.
“I talked to (Finley), they’re working hard, but they’re struggling,” Lango said.
The Rams are healthy going into Saturday’s game, with just freshman right tackle Clayton Johnson out with an elbow injury and sophomore right guard Ty Doty out with the flu. Both are expected to be ready to play the following week.
Meanwhile, defensive lineman Bryson Tiexiera, a projected starter who was hurt in Gavilan’s first practice in pads before the season, is healthy again and practicing.
Football matchups
Woodside (0-0) at Gilroy (1-0)
Leagues: PAL-BAY vs. TCAL
Friday, 7:30pm, Garcia-Elder Field
Gavilan (0-1) at Marin (0-1)
Conferences: Coast vs. Bay Valley
Saturday, 1pm, Kentfield
St. Louis (0-0) at San Francisco (0-0)
Divisions: NFC West vs. NFC West
Sunday, 1pm, Monster Park
2004 Head-to-Head:
Rams 24, 49ers 14; Rams 16, 49ers 6
