Willow Glen Resident
Sports
Gibilisco leads Willow Glen to opening win
By Mike Barnhart
Mike Gibilisco and the rest of the Willow Glen football players were just happy to finally be playing their season opener.
Gibilisco, who rarely leaves the field, made plays on both sides of the ball for the Rams against Monta Vista last Friday night at Cupertino High School, but it was his final one that was the biggest.
The talented junior, a defensive starter as a sophomore last season, deflected Justin Rahn's two-point pass attempt with 41.8 seconds to go. The diving effort in the back left corner of the end zone preserved a pulsating 22-20 victory.
Senior co-captain Charlie Findeisen, a defensive force all night long, clinched the win moments later when he grabbed and covered Monta Vista's onside kick attempt with 39.3 seconds left to play.
"I just saw it develop and knocked it down," explained Gibilisco, whose pair of second-half touchdown runs allowed Willow Glen to overcome a 14-10 halftime deficit.
"Gibilisco had a great game," praised first-year Willow Glen coach Ron Capurso. "You never know how the players will respond in the first game. We certainly have a lot of room for improvement, but it was good to get a game under our belts and see the kids play with a lot of heart."
It was just what Capurso had called for at halftime, when exhorting his players to make a comeback.
"Coach told us to put all of our heart into the second half," Gibilisco recalled.
Willow Glen, with just 20 players suited up for the contest, led 10-0 at the end of the first quarter on the strength of senior Ricky Huynh's 15-yard touchdown run and junior Nathan Kadlecek's 31-yard field goal.
Gibilisco made his first big play of the game late in the first period, intercepting a pass at his team's 3-yard line to halt a Monta Vista scoring threat.
Monta Vista rallied, though, taking its first lead of the season with a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter.
Shortly after Gibilisco's takeaway kept the Matadors out of the end zone, the Rams fumbled and senior Samuel Moon recovered at the WG 23 for Monta Vista.
A five-yard penalty against the Rams moved the ball to the 18, then Rahn found Billy Guardino in the clear up the left sideline. The 6-foot-4, left-handed passer hit the sure-handed senior in stride for six points. Drew Constant's kick trimmed the Rams' lead to 10-7 with nearly 10 minutes left in the half.
Jay Voigt's five-yard touchdown run capped a 10-play, 71-yard drive and put the Matadors ahead with just 1:18 left in the half.
A fumble recovery by senior Jose Gutierrez at Monta Vista's 47-yard line set up Gibilisco's first touchdown. Two plays after the fumble, Gibilisco caught a quick slant-in pass from junior quarterback Marcus Findeisen and ran it down to the 11. From there, the talented junior blasted up the middle for the go-ahead score. Kadlecek's PAT attempt was blocked, leaving the score 16-14 midway through the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, after Rahn's 44-yard punt had pinned the Rams back at their 9, Willow Glen traveled 91 yards in just seven plays to extend its lead to 22-14. Gibilisco's fourth run of the drive, a sweep to the right, went for a 24-yard touchdown.
"The blocking was amazing on that last touchdown," Gibilisco said.
The blocks of junior center Isaiah Torres, senior guard Robert Morrey and Gutierrez helped Gibilisco get to the edge of the Matadors defense. He then cut up field, inside a nifty block by Huynh along the sideline, and raced to paydirt and a 22-14 lead with 5:10 left in the game. The PAT kick, which would have provided a nine-point margin, was a bit wide to the right.
Gibilisco's four carries for 58 yards and a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty were big factors on the final scoring drive. A crucial seven-yard pick-up by senior fullback Bobby Lopez also kept the drive alive.
After an exchange of punts, the Matadors displayed an impressive hurry-up offense in the game's last two minutes. Starting at their own 29 with 1:40 remaining, the Matadors drove 71 yards in less than a minute for a touchdown that pulled them within two points of a tie.
Rahn's fourth completion of the six-play drive was an 11-yard scoring toss to senior Trevor Sambyal. Monta Vista then used its final timeout to discuss how it would try to score a two-point conversion. Rahn's crossing pass to Peter Kosulin was on target, but Gibilisco stayed on the hip of the receiver and reacted just in time to tip it away.
Monta Vista's Rahn completed 12 of 20 passes for 199 yards, with two TDs and just the one interception. He also ran 11 times for 43 yards, but Willow Glen defenders sacked him four times for losses of 30 yards.
C. Findeisen, Morrey and senior Jared Castillo all were in on sacks, and along with Gibilisco, spearheaded the Willow Glen defense. Schuyler Ross, Lopez, Gutierrez, Huynh, Kadlecek, Dane Gurley and Matt Ward also made tackles for the Rams.
Gibilisco rushed 16 times for 112 yards and caught two passes from M. Findeisen for 51 more.
After a non-league game at Del Mar (2-0) on Sept. 22, the Rams will host Prospect in their Blossom Valley Athletic League West Valley Division opener a week later. Both games are set to kick off at 1:30 p.m.
