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During the summer the pigskin was flying, and the ground was pounding
every day for two hours. The ferocious pack of Tiger football players
was preparing for the coming season.
With all the pain and practice the players had to endure, don’t call
football just a game. “During hell week, we practiced four hours
twice a day,” stated #27 Edgar Portillo (01).
The team also had to prepare for the season with a new coach. “It has been working out really well,” assessed #59 Rudy Gonzalez
(00)
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Ted Portillo, Justin Antwine, Rudy Gonzales, and Edgar Portillo -- friends
on and off the field.
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The feeling is mutual. According to Coach Brown, “They worked
very hard during the off season. I expect them to do very well in
preseason and better in league.” Ted Portillo #32 (01) has a lot
of strong praise for Coach Brown. “He keeps his promises and has a desire
to lead us all the way.” Coach Brown had the team endure plenty of
practice this summer in the hopes of helping them become the best team
they can be.
Has it worked? “Yeah, it has. I think they will continue to improve,”
shares the coach. Some of the players feel the way Coach Brown does.
“The team only improves if they want to, and lately they have been wanting
to,” agrees Ted.
But some of the players feel differently. “We can do a lot better,”
admits Rudy. A couple of people are surprising him though. “There are players I never expected who are doing really well.”
Coach Brown is thrilled just to be coaching. “To coach here and
have attended
Chaffey and played here myself…that excites me.”
The dedication of the team can’t be questioned either. Coach
Brown feels, “The offensive line is especially dedicated. There are
about forty guys who worked really hard last spring.”
The team has already gotten off to a good start. Their first game
was a 48-30 victory over Don Lugo. Their second game was not as successful,
losing to Pacific High School 42-8. But the Tigers went in for the
kill and beat Ganesha with a 22-19 score for the win. “We should
be able to make it to the playoffs,” predicts #6 Jared Goldstien (00).
Players change, teams change, but tradition always remains-the tradition
of dedication, talent, relentless effort, and tiger pride. |
