Willow Glen Resident
Sports
Thrilling win for Willow Glen in CCS playoffs finals
By Kevin Sparrer
Every great Cinderella story eventually has to come to an end--and unfortunately it's not always a happy ending.
Willow Glen's football team became a Cinderella story this year when, for the first time in school history, the Rams won a game in the Central Coast Section playoffs.
But after that thrilling 38-37 overtime win over Menlo in the playoff opener, the Rams did not live happily ever after. Their Cinderella year came to an end when they lost 50-13 to Pacific Grove in the CCS Small School Division semifinals on Nov. 25.
Still, it was quite a storybook season for the Rams.
"This football team will go down in history as one of the greatest teams Willow Glen has ever seen," said head coach Andy Penwarden. "They worked very hard and they deserve to be remembered."
Not only was this the first team in Willow Glen history to win a CCS game, the Rams became the first team in the history of the West Valley Division to win a playoff game. The Rams, champs in the division with a 7-0 record, ended the season with a 10-3 record after falling to Pacific Grove last Saturday afternoon.
The Rams struggled against the Breakers, punting often and seldom running more than three plays before kicking. But late in the second quarter, Willow Glen was able to put some offense together and drive the ball from its own 23 to score. Senior Marcos Garces took the ball in hand, as he did the majority of the day, and ran 17 yards on the opening play of the drive to set a strong tempo.
A few plays later senior quarterback Juan Baron connected with junior Charlie Findeisen on a 15-yard pass to put the ball onto the Pacific Grove side of the field.
After an unsuccessful running play, Baron hit sophomore Mike Gibilisco down the sideline and Gibilisco ran his way around two would-be tacklers 41 yards for the first Ram touchdown of the game and Willow Glen had cut the lead to 28-7 with 1:55 remaining in the half.
The second touchdown for Willow Glen came late in the fourth quarter with the Rams starting at their own 10-yard-line. Garces and senior Anthony Doan ran nine times for 90 yards before Garces ran the ball in from three yards out for the final score of the game.
"Pacific Grove is a very well coached team," said Penwarden. "They are a good group of kids; they pick people up off the ground, and in fact they reminded us of ourselves."
Garces was the main offensive weapon for the Rams, carrying the ball 23 times for 112 yards and one of the two scores. He also caught one pass for four yards.
Doan ran seven times for 63 tough yards and caught one pass from Baron for 10 yards.
Baron struggled to the throw the ball against the constant pressure of the Breakers defensive line, but managed to connect on four passes for 68 yards and one touchdown.
Defensively the Rams had a tough time. Senior Mike Roseland got his head in on eight tackles, leading the defensive effort, while senior Justin Fuller was right there with him with six tackles. Seniors Greg Garrity, Uriel Basilo, Sam Canchola and junior Ricky Hunyh each added four tackles to the defensive effort.
Along with Garces, Baron, Doan, Roseland, Garrity, Basilo and Canchola, seniors playing their final game for Willow Glen were Eliseo Anaya, Marcus Turner, Oswaldo Michele, Cory Kingston, Francisco Vargas, Matt Reiton, Theodore Tsabouikos, Grant Morrow, Justin Fuller, Jose Soliz and Luke Ahmed.
