Despite missing five key players, the San Lorenzo Valley High Cougars football team hardly missed a beat, handily securing a 35-14 victory over the visiting Harbor High Pirates on Saturday, Nov. 8.
A balanced Cougar team held Harbor to a pair of touchdowns, ensuring SLV a 3-1 record in Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League standings.
The Cougars were led once again by strong efforts from quarterback Isaac Newberry and running back Nate Gentry, both seniors playing in their last regular season home game.
Gentry, who was selected to wear the retired No. 21 in honor of the late David Maze, had 19 carries, rushed for 139 yards and scored a trio of touchdowns.
For the night, Newberry, was 10-for-18, passed for 153 yards, and had a touchdown pass.
“Gentry had an amazing game,” said Head Coach Dave Poetzinger. “Newberry had a great game, and he was another guy who stepped up big.”
While Newberry and Gentry were firing on all cylinders, a large portion of the Cougars’ regular starters could not say the same.
Two grueling games against Santa Cruz and Aptos had left tight end Jared Trader, running back Brighton Hart, fullback Jake Gentry, and wide receivers Shaden Pias and Devon Northcutt all sidelined and unable to play.
Center Yoshio Allen was also injured, but was able to return to play against Harbor.
“By the beginning of the second quarter (against Aptos), we were without six of our starters,” Poetzinger said. “Six offensive starters and four defensive starters — that’s a lot of players.”
Accustomed to adversity after an injury-plagued 1-9 campaign a year ago, the Cougars called upon their reserves — some in completely new positions — to stand in for their injured teammates.
Those reserves took the opportunity and literally ran with it.
Junior running back Robbie Carling finished the game with six carries for 46 yards, had two catches for six yard, and threw a 64-yard touchdown pass.
“(Carling) produced 116 yards of offense,” Poetzinger said, “he stepped up tremendously.”
Junior wide receiver Mike LaCapria had three catches for 88 yards and scored a touchdown.
Backup quarterback Nick Salibi, filling in at wide receiver, scored three touchdowns and had two catches for 46 yards.
Defensive lineman Tommy Fitzgerald, pressed into service as a tight end, had two catches for 38 yards.
“That was one of the cool things about it; people like Robert Carling, Mike LaCapria, Nick Salibi — those guys filled in and did great,” Poetzinger said. “(Fitzgerald) and Jackson (Turner) had never played a game at tight end in their lives, and they just stepped in and did it.”
On Deck
On Friday, Nov. 14, the Cougars will head to Soquel High to take on the Knights (2-2 SCCAL) — with a ticket to the Central Coast Section playoffs on the line.
“It’s going to be a tough game,” Poetzinger said, “Soquel’s a very good team.”
The Cougars, for their part, will be closer to full strength, as Jack Gentry, Trader, and Hart are likely to return to action.
Pias and Northcutt are expected to miss the game, and will likely not return to the field until the playoffs, Poetzinger said.
On the Cougars’ remarkable season, he said that his team’s toughness through the hard times last season prepared them for success this year.
“Last year, they were young, and we were a little shorthanded — but their spirits were strong all year,” Poetzinger said. “They were able to fight through and persevere … all the experience they got came to fruition.”
“I couldn’t be prouder of our guys.”
