At 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, running back Will Le may not be the biggest player on the field, but he might be the most determined. Le has had multiple breakout games for the Wildcats this season, and he continues to impress his teammates and coaches.
Head Coach Butch Cattolico has praised the work ethic and tenacity of his running back.
“Will is quiet but determined. He is really such a great player and teammate," Cattolico said. "He does whatever is asked of him to make the team better.”
Los Gatos has a very storied program with many athletes who have played for Division I universities and a few players making it to the NFL.
“We are constantly reminded of the success of the team wherever we go," Le said. "In coach’s room, he has the photos of the 14 teams that have won a championship as well as the photos of successful players that have been through this program, such as Trent Edwards, Jared Allen, Danny Sullivan, and Kiko Alonso."
Le has special appreciation for the tradition at considering the path he took to get there.
“I grew up in South and East San Jose and was always surrounded by gang activities," Le recalls. "My mom’s attempt to get me away from the gangs was to register me on the Berryessa Cougars. This was my Pop Warner team.”
While some players have a passion to start playing, Le’s mom pushed him to try the sport.
“Although I didn’t originally like playing football, it eventually grew on me and is now one of my favorite things to do,” Le said.
This season, Le leads Los Gatos with 731 rushing yards on 127 attempts, averaging over 5 yards per carry. His biggest game of the year came against Homestead back on September 28, where Le had 16 carries for 166 yards with five touchdowns to leads the Wildcats to 48-7 victory. Another impressive performance came against Wilcox where he rushed 31 times for 194 yards accompanied with two touchdowns in a 35-21 win.
“Our offense was able to score at will, our defense was able to get stops against the opponents, and our special teams performed great as well," Le said. "It was a good feeling because it showed us that we were the team that we know we are.”
Le goes out every game and plays hard-nosed football 100 percent of the time. He does many different techniques to get himself pumped up for big games against tough opponents.
“I slap a little sign that says ‘Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose’ before going out on the field because the players in the show (Friday Night Lights) say that before the game," Le said. " The other thing that pumps me up is just how much I love to play football. I have played the game since fourth grade, and I think about the time, blood, sweat and tears that I have shed on the football field.”
Although Los Gatos is highly unlikely to capture the SCVAL title, Le hopes to win the next two games against Santa Clara and Saratoga and eventually win the CCS Division II title, like the Wildcats did last year.
When asked about his many successes as a running back, Le responded, “The key to my success is my team. I do not care about my stats as long as my team gets the win. Since last year, I have built a bond with my team. Our theme is one heartbeat and that we are a family. We win as a team, we lose as a team.”
Le has had an impressive senior year and has been one of the keys to the Wildcats’ triumphs this year. Cattolico has appreciated Le’s leadership on and off the field.
“You could not have picked a better player to profile," said Cattolico. "He is what Los Gatos football is all about.”
