The football games that are won in the fall are often decided by the work that was done in the spring and summer.
That’s why Mark Krail feels refreshed and confident entering his 10th season as the Los Gatos High coach. As the idiom goes, the hay is in the barn. The returning players have been conditioning and lifting for several months, and the Wildcats also took part in several 7-on-7 passing league games from early June to July 22.
The latter was done with schools such as Branham, Mitty, Wilcox, St. Francis and Valley Christian. Krail looks for several things for the team to accomplish in 7-on-7s.
“The No. 1 thing is assignments, whether it’s the offensive side or defensive side,” he said. “Every player has specific assignments on every snap. For example, on the offensive side we talked a lot this summer about spacing and improved on that. Certain route combinations, if not spaced properly, then you have two guys in the same throwing lane. That was a spot of emphasis.
“On the defensive side, you’re not tackling but still you have certain drop angles and certain responsibilities and reads. You’re still reading the combination of receivers out on their routes and responding. But the other thing that is really important is you get a sense of who wants to compete. Even though no one is wearing pads, you still get a sense of who wants the ball when it’s up in the air. From that standpoint, you get a real good feeling for the guys you have.”
During the school year, the players are in the weight room after school. In the summer conditioning period, the players lift five times a week under the watchful eye of strength and conditioning coach Danielle Stinson.
Krail praised Stinson for her ability to get the players not only bigger, stronger and faster, but that everything they do is functional to the field.
“Danielle does a great job,” he said. “She knows the ins and outs and proper techniques on the Olympic lifts and the auxiliary lifts that go side by side with that. We saw a lot of gains in terms of not only strength, but also mobily, flexibility and speed over the course of the summer. So that was a real positive, and we had no real injuries to speak of.”
Practice started Aug. 5 and Krail likes to get his players in pads—not to deliver bone-jarring hits—but so they can get acclimated to the equipment. After all, the last time any of them put on pads was in late November.
“We ease into the contact but you want pads on the first day because it’s different when you have a helmet on,” Krail said. “You’ve got neck muscles (that will be put in use) and the vision things, so we like to get the pads on the players and have them go around. That doesn’t mean we’re going to line up and hit the crud out of each other.”
A top program like Los Gatos is prepared to play well after a couple weeks of padded practices. It will behoove the Wildcats to be ready this season as they open up at home against California state power Corona del Mar of Newport Beach on Aug. 26.
The Sea Kings finished last season ranked 29th in the state, while Los Gatos finished 56th. The Wildcats are coming off a 10-1 season, their only defeat to Bellarmine 34-27 in the Central Coast Section Division I quarterfinals.
“We’ll have our hands full early on,” Krail said. “We’re excited about that game because they’re really good. It’ll be a good test to see where we are.”
Significant news took place in the offseason when the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League and Peninsula Athletic League merged for football only. Los Gatos stays in the De Anza Division, but the merger means it plays two crossover games against teams from the Bay Division, Sacred Heart Prep and Menlo-Atherton.
SHP and M-A are traditionally strong programs and will assuredly give the Wildcats increased league competition than if the merger had not taken place. As in most years, Los Gatos graduated several quality players but also are returning just as many standouts.
Jake Boyd, a 6-foot, 180-pound senior, returns at quarterback after a terrific 2021 season in which he threw for 1,887 yards and averaged 9.7 yards per completion. This is the first time in Krail’s 10th season as the Los Gatos coach that he’s had a returning starting quarterback.
“We’re super excited to have him back,” Krail said. “To have a guy you’re not reteaching things to is great. We took that foundation we rolled with last year and have a good understanding of his strengths and abilities. Jake is fun to coach and a great leader. He’s not a rah-rah type guy, but he plays his tails off and that’s what really counts.”
Luchi Casale, a 6-2, 220-pound senior linebacker/tight end, and Jaylen Thomas, a 6-foot, 180-pound junior flanker and defensive back, are pure playmakers. Casale is one of the more physical players in the CCS and Thomas displayed tremendous versatility last season.
In addition to breaking up several passes, Thomas had 17 catches for 228 yards and averaged 13.4 yards per rush. Emiliano Mejia, a 5-9, 180-pound senior running back, was the team’s workhorse a year ago, carrying the ball 136 times for 909 yards (6.7 yards per carry) and 12 touchdowns.
Senior QB/DB Landon Heard, senior linebackers Jack Temple and Ethan Currie, two-way lineman Oliver Martinez and defensive lineman Nicolas Ramos are some additional key returners who made significant impacts last year—just to name a few. Heard had a team-best three interceptions a year ago.
Los Gatos will resume its traditional sleepover camp starting Aug. 10, a three-night, four-day event that the team spends together in the school’s small gymnasium. Several local restaurants donate food, a huge parent volunteer list cooks and prepares the meals, and the players have various activities to keep them entertained, including corn hole and video games.
The event is designed to build team camaraderie as it prepares for the start of the season.
“Guys bring TVs down to the small gym, and we’re sleeping in the small gym, 60 people spread out,” Krail said. “I use the word sleep kind of lightly. But we’re up at it for a 7am breakfast, and those who choose to horse around pay the price the next day. Overall, it’s a fun time and something the kids are super excited about.”
This is the 38th edition of the sleepover camp but first since 2019 due to Covid restrictions in 2020 and 2021. The camp culminates on Aug. 13 with the annual intrasquad scrimmage.
Sports editor Emanuel Lee can be reached at el**@we*****.com
