Willow Glen Resident
Sports
Rams light up the new scoreboard at Fremont in season-opening win
By Mike Barnhart
After a new scoreboard was dedicated at Fremont's Diesner Field in Sunnyvale last Saturday night, halfback Marcos Garces, quarterback Juan Baron and the rest of the Willow Glen Rams gave it quite a workout.
Garces ran for three touchdowns and scored another on one of Baron's two TD passes, leading Willow Glen to a 40-0 win in a non-league season opener for both teams. Sophomore Mike Gibilisco also picked up two touchdowns for the Rams, who beat Fremont for the first time in three seasons.
"I didn't expect this at all," Willow Glen coach Andy Penwarden said, referring to the huge margin of victory. "They had beaten us by one point the past two years."
The score was the first in a string of Willow Glen touchdowns fueled by Fremont misplays.
One play after recovering a fumble at Fremont's 19-yard line, Garces posted his first score of the night. Sprung by the blocks of guard Jose Soliz and tackle Jose Gutierrez, Garces sprinted around left end and up the sideline for a 12-0 lead just two minutes into the second quarter.
Moments later, after another bad snap on a Fremont punt, the Rams again started a drive at the Firebirds' 19. Baron's pass to fullback Anthony Doan gained 15 yards, then Garces bolted the final four for TD No. 2. After misfiring on PAT pass attempts after the first two scores, Baron and Garces connected for two points and a 20-0 lead midway through the quarter.
The Rams got the ball right back when Marcus Turner recovered an onside kick at Fremont's 45. Senior Sam Canchola's 21-yard run around right end set up a 17-yard scoring aerial from Baron to Gibilisco. Baron's PAT kick at 2:36 capped a 21-point period for the Rams and lit up the new scoreboard with a 27.
Willow Glen continued to roll in the second half. Gibilisco took the kickoff at the 10 and roared 39 yards up the left side, behind a convoy comprised of Soliz, Greg Garrity and Theodore Tsaboukos. Four plays later, it was 33-0.
Garces ran for 12, Doan picked up one and Kurtis Smith got open for an 11-yard reception to the 25. On the next play, Baron found Garces in the end zone for a 25-yard TD hook-up.
Fremont drove deep into Willow Glen territory on its next possession, before the Rams muscled up. On a fourth-and-seven situation from the 10, junior linebacker Bobby Lopez halted the threat by dropping a Fremont runner for a six-yard loss.
Seven plays and 84 yards later, Garces picked up his fourth six-pointer of the night with a 12-yard jaunt. Baron's kick made it 40-0. Garces actually reached the end zone three times on the drive, but penalties nullified the first two apparent scores, including a 55-yard burst through the right side of the line.
The final scoring drive had opened with a 31-yard fly pattern up the left side with senior Eliseo Anaya hauling in Baron's well-placed fling. It was the final pass thrown by Baron, who connected with six different receivers while completing 8 of 12 passes for 137 yards.
Baron was hurried a couple of times, but for the most part received fine protection from linemen Soliz, Gutierrez, Isiah Torres, Mike Roseland and Garrity and tight end Charlie Findeisen. The line also consistently pushed Fremont's defensive front out of the way on running plays and allowed Willow Glen to have a balanced offense (208 rushing yards, 137 passing). The Rams earned 16 first downs: Nine rushing, six passing and one by penalty.
Garces, an all-league first team selection in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League last season, was the game's top ground gainer with 81 yards on 11 carries.
"He's the hardest working guy in our program," Penwarden said of the 5-foot-11, 186-pound co-captain. "He's the first one in the weight room and the last one to leave."
Doan, who had several fine lead blocks, packed the ball four times for 23 yards. Junior Ricky Hunyh, who relieved Garces in the fourth quarter, gained 36 yards on four rushes.
Defensively, Willow Glen was led by linebacker Grant Morrow, ends Garrity and Findeisen, nose guard Uriel Basilio and tackles Justin Fuller and Robert Allen. Defensive back Matt Reiton chipped in by batting down a fourth-and-two pass, ending Fremont's final drive at Willow Glen's 40.
"These kids deserve a win like this," Penwarden said of his players. "They've worked hard, preparing and conditioning throughout the summer, but we have our work cut out for us. Monta Vista will be tough."
The coach was eluding to the Rams' next opponent, Sept. 15, in the Rams' home opener.
Monta Vista, which opened with a 35-13 win over Yerba Buena, features 6-foot-5 quarterback Alex Atkins and 5-foot-9 speedster Marcus Woo. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
