November 17th 2024.
On a beautiful Saturday afternoon in San Mateo, the Los Gatos Wildcats faced off against the Serra Padres in the first round of the Central Coast Section Open/Division I playoffs. The game was a close one, with both teams putting up a strong fight. But in the end, it was the Wildcats who came out victorious with a final score of 14-7.
The game-changing moment came in the third quarter, when Los Gatos trailed 7-6 and had just forced a fumble to stop a promising Serra drive. Senior running back Grayson Doslak took over the game with six consecutive rushing attempts, gaining a total of 79 yards and scoring a 1-yard touchdown to put the Wildcats up 12-7. A successful two-point conversion by quarterback Scotty Brennan to wide receiver Beau Musser extended their lead to 14-7.
Doslak credited the team's success to their strong run game and the determination of the offensive line. "Everyone was just clicking," he said. "We realized that we had to rely on the run game to beat these guys. Our line was ready and everyone was fired up."
But it wasn't just the run game that sealed the win for Los Gatos. The team's defense also played a crucial role, forcing two fumbles throughout the game, including a game-changing fumble recovery in the fourth quarter that stopped Serra's potential game-tying drive.
Head coach Mark Krail praised his team's effort and determination, saying, "If you don't believe we can win this game right now, then you don't belong in this room. And our guys rose and they bought in, and they did what we asked them to do in the second half."
The win over Serra was a big moment for the Wildcats, as it was their first victory against the Bay Area powerhouse since 2014. Krail now holds a 2-0 record against Serra's head coach Patrick Walsh, who previously defeated Krail's team in a CCS game back in 2009.
On the other side, Serra's loss marked their first defeat in CCS play since 2018. The team, known for their dominance in the CIF Open Division state championship, entered this year's playoffs as a No. 4 seed. However, their early exit from the playoffs was a tough pill to swallow for the players and coaches.
"We've got to improve as coaches and figure out ways that we can motivate better in a year like this," Walsh said. "We haven't been here in a long time. And that's something that I'm going to have to face in the offseason, to make sure that the '25 Padres are more prepared than I got the '24 Padres to win on the scoreboard."
Despite a tough start to the game, with Serra scoring a touchdown on their opening drive, Los Gatos never lost their composure. They responded with a 50-yard flea-flicker touchdown pass from Brennan to Musser in the second quarter, but a missed extra point kept the score at 7-6.
Brennan, who had a rocky start to the game with an interception right before halftime, bounced back in the second half with several key passes to keep the chains moving. He credited his offensive line for giving him time to make crucial throws and lead the team to victory.
In the end, it was a team effort that led to Los Gatos' win. The Wildcats' running back Doslak had a standout performance, rushing for 86 yards in the fourth quarter alone. "I'm a little biased, because I'm a running back," he joked. "But I think that's the greatest thing, where you can run and just pound into people."
As the clock ran out and the Wildcats celebrated their victory, coach Krail had a simple message for his team: "You guys played your tails off. Holy mackerel."
It was a hard-fought game for both teams, and in the end, it was the team that ran the ball for scores late in the game that came out on top. As Doslak put it, "It's the best part of football." And for the Los Gatos Wildcats, it was a moment to remember.
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