Hollister – Hollister Pop Warner teams will host the West Bay Rams from San Bruno this weekend. For at least one of the Viking teams, Saturday’s contest will be no ordinary game.
The Pee Wee contest shapes up as the fourth in the last three years between two teams bent on domination – the West Bay Rams and the Hollister Vikings.
For the past two years, these boys have clashed in the post-season as Junior Pee Wees – last year it was for the league championship, which Hollister won. All of the contests have been unforgettable. Viking halfback Andre Cornell has figured prominently in each game.
2002 playoffs
The teams met for the first time in the second round of playoffs in 2002 after both teams shocked the league by knocking off much higher-seeded opponents.
Both teams showed off their tenacious defenses early in the game, but Hollister got the first big break when the speedy Cornell broke loose for an 80-yard run, that set up Hollister’s first touchdown, a 3-yard pass from Trevor Fabing to Chris Greenwood.
It was literally a breathtaking run: Cornell suffered an asthma attack due to the length of the run, which sidelined him for the rest of the game.
The Rams scored just before halftime, but missed the conversion, and the Vikings led by one, 7-6. Without their speedy halfback, the Vikings faced an uphill struggle to move the ball just to keep the Rams away from their goal line. Backs Taylor Green and Armando Lerma rose to the occasion, running hard into the line and breaking tackles on play after play to get Hollister an insurance score.
The Vikings defense played heroically to stifle the Rams attack.
Matt Martinez, who plugged up running lanes all day on the Viking defensive line still does the same job, only now its as a Pee Wee player.
The Vikings prevailed 13-6 in that first contest, but the intense level of play by both teams was a sign of a rivalry in the making.
2003 playoffs
Last year, the two confident and improving teams truly dominated their division during the regular season, as each rattled off seven consecutive wins.
As fate would have it, the matchup between these two teams was scheduled for the last weekend of the season, and both teams came in undefeated.
The winner would win the division and earn a playoff bye.
West Bay had the stronger offense, while Hollister boasted a defense that had only allowed one touchdown all year long.
Cornell was a big part of Hollister’s offense, but he was injured the week before the game, and one of the Viking quarterbacks was also out.
It might not have mattered even if they had been there. The Rams played the game of their lives, earning a lopsided 26-0 win. They scored on the first play from scrimmage and never looked back. It was the only one of the three games where one team clearly dominated the other.
The Rams superiority was short-lived however. As expected, both teams cruised through the playoffs and met again three weeks later for the league championship.
The Rams broke on top early by converting an interception into six points, and added a two-point conversion kick to go up 8-0.
Hollister coach Julian Gaytan and his assistants had worked hard to instill confidence and mental toughness in their kids, and they saw their efforts pay off.
What Hollister could not do on offense, they did on special teams.
Isaak Ramos blocked West Bay’s first punt, Ray Rueda stuffed the second – a fake punt.
On the third try, Cornell took the short punt and raced 38 yards to make it 8-6 Rams at halftime.
West Bay’s defense matched Hollister for toughness in the second half, and Viking fans began to sense that time was against them as their foes had an 8-6 lead and the team could not move the ball.
With 2:30 remaining, the Vikings got the ball back on their own 25.
On third down, offensive co-ordinator Doug Noble called for a fake reverse, power sweep to the right side, and Cornell executed the play to perfection, breaking several tackles. After a great block by Mikey Soto, tight roped down the right side line until he had beaten the last man.
Eighty yards later, the Vikings had the lead for the first time, 12-8, with just over two minutes remaining.
Coach Julian Gaytan called for an onside kick, but West Bay recovered.
But the Viking defense again stopped West Bay. On first down, Joshua Greenwood stuffed a run behind the line of scrimmage. On second down, Ryan Disalvo broke through for a quarterback sack.
Then Cornell used his speed on defense to contain an outside run, forcing a fourth and long passing situation.
Greenwood deflected the pass to give the Hollister Jr. Pee Wee’s the league championship.
Big expectations
Now, most of the boys on both teams have moved up to the older level, and they are at it again. With three weeks left to go in the season, each team has lost just once all year.
But this year, there is a big difference. Due to the overwhelming success that both teams have enjoyed, Pop Warner saw fit to move both organizations into the prestigious Division I for 2004, meaning that they will almost always be competing against top-level teams.
So this year, both West Bay and Hollister have found some company in the East Bay Wildcats and in Santa Clara as they battle for the top spot in their division.
So unlike last year, the winner of Saturday’s game won’t automatically be crowned Division champion. But a victor be the only team that can challenge East Bay for the Division championship.
The Pee Wee showdown begins at 3pm Saturday at Andy Hardin Stadium.
All other Hollister divisions are also playing West Bay, games begin at 11am.
The Junior Pee Wees begin at 1pm. The Junior Midgets will be seeking their first win of the season at 5 pm. The evenly matched Midget Rams and Vikings got a 7 pm.
Special to the Free Lance
