The Gavilan College Rams trek to Visalia Saturday to complete
the non-Coast Conference portion of the 10-game schedule with a
7:30 p.m. game against the College of the Sequoias Giants.
Coach Roger Kelly’s Giants turned back the Rams 30-14 at Mustang Stadium last season as the Rams finished 4-6.
Kelly’s 15 Giants team is strongly run-oriented this season, coming up with just 416 passing yards in four games during the 1-3 pre-Valley Conference start.
The lone Sequoias win was a 28-14 nod over San Jose City College in the opener of the season.
“They pound it right at you,” said Gavilan coach John Lango of the Giants offensive scheme. “They play a lot of two-back offense, like DeAnza (Gavilan’s conference-opening foe Oct. 18).”
“Both of their backs are real good.” Mulivei Pula has averaged 101 yards on the ground, I’lario Vital 54 per outing.
“Their defense is nothing fancy, they run to the football,” Lango said of the Sequoias defensive outfit. “We need many of our linemen to pick it up a little bit starting Saturday. We need these young men to play at the championship level on a consistent basis.”
Lango noted that right guard Matt Engwall has shown consistent improvement.
On defense, co-captain Brian Hernandez “has been playing outstanding.”
Although the Giants do not spend much time of offense passing, quarterback Paul Ferreira is 33-of-61 for 378 yards and one touchdown.
Patrick Ames, back at the Gavilan helm because of Saturday’s injury to Nick Buzzetta, is 35-for-80 for 480 yards and three TDs. Buzzetta is likely to be available for the DeAnza game.
El Ray Henry, who became only the 23 Gavilan rusher to record multiple 100-yard rushing performances (against Merced and Mendocino), will be in the starting line-up after missing the San Mateo game because of a nagging injury.
Henry is second in the Coast Conference with an 84.5 yard average. Cabrillo’s Loren Jensen paces that category with a 101-yard average.
