Gilroy varsity football coach Rich Hammond grew up a Hollister
man. He went to school there, he played football there. There was
one way he knew how to conduct himself and that was as a
Haybaler.
GILROY
Gilroy varsity football coach Rich Hammond grew up a Hollister man. He went to school there, he played football there. There was one way he knew how to conduct himself and that was as a Haybaler.
But when Hammond came to Gilroy High in 2005, then head coach Darren Yafia told the fiery young assistant there was more than one way to do things, even if the prior road had led to success.
“Darren told me there’s multiple ways to skin a cat and to try new things … and I didn’t want to do it at first,” Hammond said.
Having been a key assistant on San Benito’s 2000 Division II CCS championship team, he figured if nothing was broke, nothing needed fixing.
The following year though, Hammond was given full control as Gilroy’s head coach. He started to consider implementing new formations on the offensive side of the ball, but tucked the thoughts away as his first season leading the Mustangs approached. This past summer, Hammond threw caution to the wind and installed many of the plays he had been tinkering with in past years.
The result has been the most productive offense in the Central Coast Section.
Combining innovative play-calling with a hard-nosed approach on defense, Hammond has become as well-rounded as he is energetic.
“(San Benito Coach Chris) Cameron is a big mentor of mine, especially in the style I coach because he’s probably the only other guy who goes berserk, probably more berserk than me,” Hammond said. “And Tod Thatcher, their defensive coordinator, I cut my teeth under the two equally.”
The result has been a Hammond-led team (7-2, 5-0) that plays razor-sharp on offense and defense.
GHS quarterback Jamie Jensen leads the area in passing yards with 2,794 yards and 22 touchdowns. The closest passer in the section statistically to Jensen is 563 yards behind him. The Mustangs’ defense has been running wild as well, knifing through gaps with heavy blitzing to force turnovers by air and on the ground.
While tonight’s game, the 51st installment of the Prune Bowl, will showcase a meeting of the minds, Hammond readily admits there is more at stake than the pride of two coaches.
A win for San Benito (4-5 overall, 3-2 TCAL) would not only give the ‘Balers their sixth-straight claim to the VFW Memorial Trophy, it would also bolster the team’s chances of receiving an at-large bid into the Large School Division playoffs.
“They’re gonna fight tooth and nail because it’ll make or break their season,” Hammond said. “They have everything to play for and I think right now they’re a caged dog.”
A victory for Gilroy has implications that only would sweeten a season that already ensures a CCS appearance. The Mustangs would have their first outright TCAL title in 26 years, a home playoff game in the prestigious Open School Division (most likely against Serra or Valley Christian) and a chance to see their most hated rivals walk across the field and hand over a Prune Bowl trophy.
Standing in front of his team after the final regular season practice of the year Thursday, Hammond made sure his players understood how important the game was to former players, coaches and the communities as a whole. He talked about the hostile environment they would face – in 2005 Hammond was pelted with food, spit on by fans and the subject of numerous verbal assaults for wearing GHS colors.
But more importantly than the vitriolic emotions that occur off the field, Hammond said, is the thrill of playing in such an important game.
“I don’t remember every game I played,” he said, “but I can say I remember every single part of the two [Prune Bowls] I played in.”
