Football coaches love players who aren’t afraid to make contact.
That’s why Anzar High coach Luis Espinoza beams with pride when he talks about one of the team’s best two-way players, junior fullback/linebacker Angel Jimenez.
“Angel plays the game the way it’s supposed to be played,” Espinoza said after the Hawks’ 34-24 loss to Woodside Priory last Friday. “He’s tough, physical and loves to hit.”
Anzar, which dropped to 1-4 overall 1-2 in the Mission Trail 8-man league standings, must win Friday’s game against Stuart Hall-San Francisco to stay in contention for the league championship.
One thing is for certain: In victory or defeat, Jimenez makes an impact. Offensively, the 5-foot-8, 180-pound Jimenez isn’t flashy—he just gets the job done by picking the right holes to run through and continually churning his legs like pistons.
Defensively, Jimenez flies to the ball and consistently tackles well.
Against Woodside Priory, Anzar kept on feeding the ball to Jimenez, who gained 68 yards on 15 carries in the second half. Remarkably, none of his carries went for negative yardage.
Jimenez faced a huge task against the Panthers, who are one of the biggest defensive lines in the 8-man league. Nonetheless, Anzar’s offensive line did a nice job of allowing Jimenez to get past the line of scrimmage.
However, there was no one to block Panthers linebacker Michael Zhao, a 5-10, 230-pound junior who outweighs Jimenez by 50 pounds. The two standout players met no less than a dozen times, and the sound of their pads making contact created plenty of noise.
“I pride myself on playing physical, and I’m going to keep on playing that way no matter what,” Jimenez said after last Friday’s game. “Football is the one sport where you can hit someone and not get penalized for it. I like that.”
Jimenez was a little more amped up than usual because he had missed the team’s previous two games due to a hamstring injury.
“It was heartbreaking not being able to play,” he said.
Despite Jimenez’s efforts, Anzar came up short against Woodside Priory because it committed six turnovers.
“We need to stop the mistakes,” Espinoza said. “Our strength is running the ball, and if we get behind by more than two touchdowns, it’s hard for us to come back. This was a tough one, but I’m proud of the kids because they didn’t give up. I’m not mad; I’m just sad. I can’t be mad at the kids because they played their hearts out.”
Hawks linebacker Andrew Huaracha made plays all over the field, finishing with an interception, a couple of sacks and forcing a fumble.
Jimenez said playing alongside Huaracha on defense makes him a better player.
“I love that guy,” Jimenez said. “He loves to hit and has a passion for the game that many players don’t have.”
Indeed, Huaracha made his presence felt time and again, making key tackles for losses along with ones in the open field.
“The great part is I get those two guys back for next year,” Espinoza said.
Both of Anzar’s league losses have come to two of the league’s elite teams. In a 32-26 loss to Pinewood on Sept. 26, the Hawks allowed a touchdown on the last play of the game. Against Woodside Priory, they committed too many physical and mental errors.
“As long as we stay healthy, I like the direction our team is headed,” Espinoza said.
