The 2009 edition of Gabrielino takes the field. How much did they know about their ancestors, the ones that came before them, the ones that claimed the MVL title? (Photo courtesy Gabrielino High website)
This is a tribute to the Gabrielino Eagles of 2000, who won the Old School Team of the Decade poll. We have a comments box below for you to share your thoughts. I have my personal opinion, but for the next thousand words I’ll keep them to myself and give the Tongva Nation its due.
The 2000 season was an 11-game affair for the Eagles that started with promise, demonstrated defensive dominance, and ended in heartbreak in round one of the playoffs. Ten years later the names of this team still resonate in area football.
I do apologize for not having a quality pic. In 2000 I was working for another newspaper and they kept them all when I left.
Preview
Gabrielino started the 2000 season with a number nine ranking in CIF’s Division VII. Even though they finished 6-5 (3-2) in 1999 and made the playoffs the year was a disappointment. On top of that three-year starting quarterback Kevin Trochez had graduated leaving HC Vince Lopez with no experienced signal caller to replace him.
Talent was returning however in the form of Jay Sanchez and Donald Boyd in the backfield. There were stars in twin brothers Ernesto and Oscar Ruiz, Mario Atilano, and Jose Castro. Talent was also in the form of Cliff Kramer, Jeff Nishimoto, Jacob Gomez, and Alex Valenzuela along the line.
Week One
September 7, 2000
( Thursday Night-East Los Angeles College )
Gabrielino 14 San Marino 0
Oscar Ruiz intercepted San Marino quarterback Charlie Grimes twice and returned them both for touchdowns. Only the second one counted after a penalty brought the first one back. Jeff Comaianni scored on a four-yard run and Donald Boyd rushed for 80-yards in the victory.
(Personal Note) Both Lon Sellers and Scott Brummett confronted us on the sideline during the game. Both asked the question: “Who are you with?” We had our credentials but there was so much disbelief on their faces it was like who else besides the Star News is allowed to cover football?
Week Two
September 14, 2000
( Thursday Night-East Los Angeles College )
Gabrielino 35 Keppel 0
The lost decade for the Aztecs was just beginning and people were just starting to get to know Donald Boyd who rushed for a pair of scores and 75-yards. Jeremy Sanchez, a sophomore, and Jayson Sanchez’s little brother had secured the quarterback spot scoring on a one-yard sneak and firing a 30-yard touchdown pass to Mario Atilano.
(Personal Note) After back to back shutouts we were all starting to take notice of Gabrielino.
Week Three
September 21, 2000
( Thursday Night-East Los Angeles College )
Gabrielino 28 La Salle 7
The Eagles survive a flurry of flags, but a pair of big plays spark them to victory. Donald Boyd returns a punt 57-yards for a touchdown and Jeremy Sanchez on a keeper goes 72-yards to paydirt for another score. He also hits Atilano for an eight-yard score and Cliff Kramer adds a two-yard run to wrap up the Gabrielino scoring.
The Lancers snap the Eagles string of shutout quarters at 11 when quarterback Brent Pattison goes 16-yards to Matt Dondaville in the fourth quarter.
Week Four
September 29, 2000
(Friday Night-Memorial District Field Burbank )
Gabrielino 41 Burbank 0
Donald Boyd rushes for 246-yards and four touchdowns. The lightening back scores on runs of 3, 33, 60, and 51-yards. Jeremy Sanchez goes 24-yards to Jose Castro and Adrian Magallon returns a blocked punt 27-yards for a score. The defense pitches its third shutout in four weeks and allows the Bulldogs only seven total yards offense on the night.
Week Five
October 6, 2000
( Friday Night-East Los Angeles College )
El Dorado 17 Gabrielino 6
The Eagles are leading 6-3 heading into the fourth quarter over winless El Dorado. Lone highlight is a 16-yard touchdown pass from Jeremy Sanchez to Oscar Ruiz.
Week Six
October 13, 2000
(Friday Night-Rosemead)
Gabrielino 10 Rosemead 7
A bruising, bad blood, game is settled by Mario Atilano’s 37-yard field goal with four seconds remaining. Keying the final drive is a 26-yard pass from Jeremy Sanchez to Donald Boyd. Boyd would finish with 116-yards on the ground. Jeremy Sanchez scores the Eagles lone touchdown on a one-yard run.
Mead’s lone score is set up by Joey Ray’s 41-yard diving catch. Jose Samano’s scores on an eight-yard carry.
Week Seven
October 19, 2000
(Thursday Night-East Los Angeles College)
Gabrielino 55 El Monte 8
This game was over from the get go. Donald Boyd rushes for 188-yards and three touchdowns. Jayson Sanchez scores on a 13-yard run, a 41-yard pass from his little brother, and a 33-yard interception return. Jeremy Sanchez also fires touchdown passes to Greg Dondaville (46-yards) and Mario Atilano (52-yards).
(Personal Note) I covered this game from the El Monte sideline. As the evening wore on I asked a smiling then EM Vice Principal Jim White if it bugged him seeing the school getting pasted. He said he was okay. I asked him again to be sure and he said: “Joe, do you know how much bad football I’ve seen over the years?”
Week Eight
October 26, 2000
(Thursday Night-East Los Angeles College)
Gabrielino 14 Arroyo 0
Across the country the Yankees were beating the Mets 4-2 to clinch their third consecutive World Series crown, and in East L.A. Gabrielino was taking the Mission Valley League crown from Arroyo.
The rain was pouring and neither team managed an offensive point in four quarters of action, but in the second the Eagles defense got them on the board twice.
After the Knights pushed the ball down to the Gabrielino one late in the second quarter they were stopped on successive plays and forced to attempt a 19-yard field goal.
Kicker Joe Timchenko’s kick was blocked by Adrian Magallon and returned 80-yards for a touchdown by Mario Atilano. Then, just seconds before the half, Arroyo mishandled a handoff and fumbled the ball. Jose Castro picked it up at the five and carried it in for the score.
The victory snapped the Knights 27-game MVL winning streak as the Eagle defense forced seven turnovers, including five picks combined by the Ruiz brothers.
(Personal Note) As this season was wearing on it was obvious Gabrielino was becoming more and more special by the moment. Beating Arroyo on this night still has to rate as the biggest win in school history.
We showed up with three staffers for this game. I was doing the column, Peterson the game story, Barker was snapping pics. Not uncommon especially when we were talking about all-league selections and thinking we were going to have to name the entire Gabrielino defense.
A Gabrielino VP came up to me on the sideline during the first half and asked what I was doing there. Just like I was asked in Week One. I said we were covering the game and deciding on how to pick our all-league defense.
“Well it doesn’t take three of you!” He snarled at me. Being the soul of tact I am, I silently wished for him suffer gastro-intestinal distress, and immediately moved to the Arroyo side of the field after halftime. In what turned out to be a pretty brutal night, I think it was that statement that honked me off the most.
Week Nine
November 3, 2000
(Friday-Mountain View)
Gabrielino 24 Mt. View 0
The Vikings didn’t pick up a yard through the air, and managed less than 25 on the ground. Jeremy Sanchez went 28-yards to Oscar Ruiz and big brother Jayson scored on runs of one and 57-yards.
It was the Eagles fifth shutout of the season.
Week Ten
November 9, 2000
(Friday-The Swamp)
Gabrielino 20 South El Monte 13
South El Monte bolts to a 10-0 lead at the half, but the rest of the contest is dominated by Donald Boyd. The senior rushes for 200-yards and three touchdowns (2, 46, 1) to help Gabrielino secure its first and only Mission Valley League title. Gabrielino offensive line deserves mentioning here: Eddie Gomez, Chris Johnson, Adam Hamler, Erik Gonzalez, Fernando Salaz, and Ryan Koester-Martinez were all part of the O-Line mix and plowing the road for Boyd.
CIF 1st. Round
November 17, 2000
(Friday-East Los Angeles College)
Garey 26 Gabrielino 19
For the second consecutive week the Eagles spot an opponent a double digit lead, and this time they pay for it. Garey uses its 14-0 halftime lead to blunt a Gabrielino rally that closes the game to 14-12 before pulling away for the victory.
Donald Boyd scores on a one-yard and Jeremy Sanchez on an eight-yard keeper but both extra-point attempts are missed. The kick failed after the Boyd score, and a two-point conversion was stopped after the Sanchez six.
Later, trailing 26-12, Jeremy Sanchez connects with Oscar Ruiz for an eight-yard touchdown for the team’s final score of the season.
(Personal Note) This was back in the days when we were running the show with laptops around my dining room table. Most of the call in information we got came via land lines. None of us on staff had a cell.
Jim Saxon covered this game for us and when he walked in through my front door and told us the final score our mouths dropped.
This was by far the best Gabrielino team of the decade and in another place and time would definitely have been a CIF finals contender.
What’s interesting is over the course of the next few years, with less talent, the Eagles would perform well in the post-season including a near upset of the then colossal Los Altos.
But this team in 2000 was its best, just a shame it had to end early.
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