Sobrato opens its football season Friday at Gunderson
MORGAN HILL — Amid the ruckus of Sobrato players padding up for the last full-contact practice before Friday’s season opener against Gunderson, Bulldogs defensive backs coach Albert King scratched a few notes about the Grizzlies — or at least one of them — on the locker room white board.
They read as follows:
#5 Friday
Highlight reel
275 yards
Game 1
“He’s an athlete,” King said Wednesday as he snapped the cap shut on his red grease pen. “We have to be ready for him.”
King referred to Chris Eke, Gunderson’s 5-foot-9 175-pound tailback who ran for 275 yards in last week’s 46-32 win over Monta Vista. Naturally, Eke will be the Bulldogs top priority when they kick-off at 7 p.m. Friday at Gunderson High School.
Whether they are in a shotgun or I-formation, the Grizzlies’ offense evolves around No. 5.
“That’s it. That’s how you beat Gunderson: Stop him,” Sobrato coach Nick Borello said. “Their quarterback’s a good runner, but, aside from number five, they don’t have much of a game plan. They just give him the ball.”
Eke, who also starts as a defensive back, scored 17 touchdowns in 2008 and joined teammate Zach Landucci in rushing for more than 1,200 yards. The Bulldogs were able to stall Eke when the teams met in Santa Teresa Division play Oct. 24, but they couldn’t stop Landucci.
Behind Landucci’s 235 yards rushing, the Grizzlies rolled 35-7.
“The best news I’ve had this offseason is when I heard (Landucci) won’t be going to Gunderson next year,” Borello said. “(Eke), they didn’t use him much against us last year, but we know he’s the real deal. He runs, he’s explosive, he breaks tackles with his elusiveness and strength. He has speed to run away from pretty much any defense.
“Far and away, if we stop him, we should be fine.”
Borello and his players are confident the Grizzlies will not score 40 points for the second week in a row. Their Week 1 excitement was boiling over Monday.
“It’s going to be a different story this time against them,” Sobrato linebacker/tight end Ryan Brewer says. “Gunderson beat us up, but there’s gonna be payback.”
