Sophomore William Lee will leave Gavilan with more than just the experience football has given him. He’s leaving as the Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
Lee, the Rams starting defensive linemen, earned the honor after a standout season for Gavilan Thursday. Lee was the overall leader in fumble recoveries with five, four of which came in conference play. He had 76 tackles — 50 of which were solo — and seven sacks this season. He came up with 10 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble for the Rams in their 59-58 win over Cabrillo College in the season finale on Nov. 16.
“(The award) really shows the amount of the respect that he had in the conference from the opposing teams and coaches,” Rams coach Spencer Gilford said.
Out of the nine categories, Gavilan had players earning honors in eight.
The Coast Conference Offensive Team features six players: sophomore quarterback Nate Ellis, sophomore running back Jakari Johnson, freshman wide receiver Trevin Kelley, sophomore O-linemen Kevin Taylor and Joe Gularte and all-purpose player Johnson.
Gavilan players took three of the spots on the Coast Conference Defensive squad. Earning honors are freshman defensive back Mike Pirnik, freshman linebacker Dillion Babb and sophomore D-lineman Lee.
“They put the work in throughout the year and especially in the offseason,” Gilford said. “I thought it was good to see that they got recognized for some of their personal achievements that they made throughout the year. …We’re just very proud of them and we’re happy for their success.”
Gavilan finished it’s season with a 4-6 overall record and went 2-3 in conference play.
