Hollister in for another tough test against San Lorenzo Valley;
Gavilan takes on Marin
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:
Hollister at San Lorenzo Valley
If there’s any such thing as a must-win game in the second week of the season, this is it for the San Benito High football team.
The Haybalers are coming off a 6-27 loss to Valley Christian in their season opener and face a tough San Lorenzo Valley team today on the road.
“It’s kind of a must-win game for us right now,” said ‘Baler head coach Chris Cameron. “We’ve got to get out of the cellar and into the win column.”
The ‘Balers have history on their side as they face the 0-0 Cougars this afternoon. Last season, Hollister, after losing its first game to Valley Christian, handed the Cougars their first loss of the year with a 13-7 win in week two.
But nobody’s expecting an easy victory to be the outcome of today’s game.
“They’re a good team, we’re going to their place and they have a lot of returning football players.” Cameron said.
Good news on the injury front as it concerns the ‘Baler running attack, Jeff Weltz will be playing in today’s game after sitting out the Valley Christian game with a sprained ankle.
Weltz’s return should work wonders in bolstering the already solid Haybaler game.
Kickoff for today’s game is at 2pm at San Lorenzo Valley High.
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.
