Los Gatos rolled past Pioneer, 35-7, in the season opener for both teams Friday night. | Giuliano Orsi/Prep2Prep |
LOS GATOS – The start to the season is nerve-racking for a lot of teams, especially when it’s in front of their home crowd. However, this didn’t seem to be the case for Los Gatos, as the Wildcats rolled over the visiting Pioneer Mustangs, 35-7.
The Wildcats came out with confidence, and were able to control both sides of the ball from the very start. On offense, they put up an impressive 344 total yards, including 295 rushing. The success on ground was led by junior Will Fordyce, who put up 66 yards on 15 touches, including two touchdowns. Senior wideout Ben Gratsy ran for an 85-yard score as well.
On the defensive side, the Wildcats held the Mustangs to under 200 yards of offense for the whole game.
“We wanted to control the line of scrimmage, and we did a pretty good job of that tonight,” said Los Gatos coach Mark Krail, who was coaching against his old team for the first time. “The first game out, you don’t really know what you have, but our players did what we asked them to.”
Right from the start, the Wildcats proved they were ready. On the first possession, Los Gatos quarterback and senior Kyle Reid lofted a 6-yard pass into the outstretched hands of tight end Jake Tonges, which gave them an early 7-0 lead.
The second quarter was only more trouble for the Mustangs, as Los Gatos ran all over the Pioneer defense. The Wildcats scored rushing touchdowns on three straight possessions, including both of Fordyce’s scores on the night. All of these touchdowns gave the Wildcats a commanding 28-0 lead going into halftime. This was despite an injury coming to starting Wildcat running back Jordan Howell at the end of the first quarter, as Fordyce was able to step up and deliver for the rest of the game.
“The linemen were there all night,” said Fordyce. “I got a couple tucks and reads and I felt comfortable [stepping up] the rest of the game.”
In the second half, Los Gatos kept Pioneer from making any late moves, and handily walked out with the win.
As for the Mustangs, injuries came before the game, which could have affected their mindset. Star two-way player Ronald August of Pioneer has been out with a hamstring injury, but hopes to make it back soon. After the game, he said, “I just love to play and almost nothing will stop me. Sitting out and watching the guys lose, it hurts.”
August should be healthy in time for Pioneer's next game, which is at home against Salinas on September 2.
“We gotta work on tackling, reading, and getting the right places,” said Pioneer coach Eric Perry. “Salinas is going to be a tough opponent - we've got to get back to work on Monday at practice.”
The Wildcats host Corona del Mar, also on September 2.
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