The Los Gatos High School football team is used to playing under the Friday Night Lights. But this time, the players and coaches had reason to look skyward. As part of the pregame ceremonies commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, a military jet flyover featuring two F-15C Eagles from the 144th Fighter Wing of the California National Guard soared over Helm Field.
It left spectators gawking and firing up the Wildcats’ sideline for its non-league game against Clovis.
“It was awesome, it was epic,” Wildcats coach Mark Krail said.
The pregame ceremonies paid tribute to LGHS alumni Mark Bingham and Todd Beamer, whose heroic actions aboard United Airlines Flight 93 likely prevented the hijacked plane from hitting its intended target in Washington D.C. The ceremony was also a remembrance for all those who lost their lives that day, and the heroic acts of sacrifice from first responders and military personnel.
Los Gatos Mayor Rob Moore joined Congressman Sam Liccardo (CA-16) and LGSUHSD Superintendent Heath Rocha for the commemoration, which included the presentation of colors by the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department. All told, it was a moving commemoration recognizing the bravery of countless individuals and remembering those whose lives were lost on 9/11.
“This town, like so many towns, was affected by what happened on 9/11, so it definitely hits home,” Krail said. “I’m proud of this town, this community, and hopefully we never forget what happened that day. Congressman Liccardo said it as well, that we have to be the United States of America. I think that’s important to (everyone involved).”
Since all of the players on the team were born long after 9/11, Krail didn’t get too deep into things, but accordingly referenced Beamer and Bingham.
“I just told them, ‘Hey, if people can give the ultimate sacrifice then we can sacrifice as well,” said Krail, whose team lost 24-7 to Clovis. “And our guys do sacrifice themselves. They pay a huge price to be a part of this program. They work their tails off all year long to succeed. And tonight on the scoreboard we didn’t succeed, but there’s going to be other nights. We’ll be back.”
Against a tough and physical Clovis squad, the Wildcats knew they had to excel in all three phases of the game to emerge victorious.
They didn’t.
“I don’t think we won one of the phases actually, and we turned it over,” Krail said. “I thought our defense played with tremendous heart all night, and we’re a good defensive unit for sure. Offensively, we were not good tonight. We struggled to run the ball, we had several dropped passes and a couple of turnovers. So one of those you chalk up and you move on. We knew they were a good team and we knew he had to play a really clean game and we didn’t tonight.”
While acknowledging the players’ effort, Krail lamented the team’s lack of execution, especially in pivotal moments. Two series stood out in particular, the type of moments that will cause a coach’s hair to turn prematurely gray. Los Gatos had just scored its first points of the game to cut its deficit to 17-7 with eight minutes left in the third quarter.
After stopping the Cougars on the ensuing possession, the Wildcats drove down the field and had a fourth-and-two from the Clovis 37-yard line. However, in what looked like a bit of miscommunication, the snap deflected off the hands of quarterback Jack Siri, foiling a potential scoring opportunity. On the team’s penultimate possession, Siri connected with Kade Duebelbeis for a 51-yard play to set up a first-and-goal from the eight-yard line.
Once again, the Los Gatos offense stalled at a crucial moment. Two incomplete passes and a sack forced a 28-yard field goal attempt by Reed Sweetnam, whose kick went wide left with 5:49 remaining. Clovis responded with an 11-play, 80-yard drive that culminated in a touchdown and 24-7 lead. The Wildcats also had a 80-yard TD called back due to an illegal shift penalty late in the first half.
“Those two plays turn around (the game),” Krail said. “We had a chance to get it to within seven with five minutes to go in the game and we missed a field goal, and that was pretty deflating. But I think, offensively, we need to get back to fundamentals, looking at the film and seeing where we were short, because we weren’t getting bodies on bodies like we normally do.”
Krail praised the defensive unit for keeping Los Gatos within striking distance until things got away late.
“I thought our defense played well enough to win,” he said.
Jared Newman, Cole Krings, Lane Newman, Tamu Chapman and TJ Lombardi combined to make several impact plays. Los Gatos committed four turnovers, with Siri having three of his passes intercepted. The senior signal-caller completed 16-of-30 passes for 168 yards.
Los Gatos’ run game didn’t fare any better, finishing with just 63 yards on 27 carries. Duebelbeis’ breakthrough season continued with a superb eight-reception, 107-yard performance. In defeat, the Wildcats put up a game effort that should serve them well going forward. Leading up to the game, Krail told the players to be in the moment.
“I told them to enjoy it,” he said. “There were a lot of people that worked really hard to make a special night out of tonight, so I told them to enjoy it. But in the end, it’s a football game you’ve got to play and I thought they did…I thought the effort was great.”
