Short-handed El Capitan High football improves to 2-0 for first time in school history
The El Capitan High School football players gathered in front of the student section on Friday night to celebrate a 28-0 win over Cordova.
The players sprinted past as the crowd gave them a large roar at Merced College’s Stadium ‘76. The players then returned to sing the school’s Alma Mater with their classmates.
For the first time since El Capitan High School opened in 2013, the football team is off to a 2-0 start. The two wins are the most the program has had in a season since 2017.
“It feels amazing,” said Gauchos quarterback Brian Carlson. “It’s the first time it’s ever been done before. I really feel like we’re apart of something special.”
El Capitan head coach Jordan Irsik is trying to change the culture in his first season at the school.
“There is a standard that is here now and again, it’s not talking about winning championships yet,” Irsik said. “It’s just about getting better every day and doing the right thing right now so that we can do that down the road.”
Irsik could smile on Friday night. He could celebrate with his players and coaches. The players could enjoy the win with their teammates, family and friends.
It was a much different scene than the one that unfolded last week in Delhi during the season opener. A fight broke out in the third quarter the resulted in the officials stopping the game.
El Capitan left with a 12-7 victory over the Hawks, but this week Sac-Joaquin Section officials suspended 10 Gauchos players for three games for their involvement in the fight or leaving the El Capitan sideline during the altercation.
Delhi suspended seven of its players from school and announced its forfeiting its next two games against Ceres and Big Valley Christian. Delhi is still working with section officials to determine how may players will receive similar three-game suspensions for their involvement in the fight.
The 10 El Capitan players serving the first of their three-game suspensions stood on the Gauchos sideline wearing their jerseys or dressed in street clothes on Friday night.
Irsik said last week’s incident didn’t alter the Gauchos approach this week.
“Nothing changed,” Irsik said. “We prepared like normal and nothing was different the whole week. We just prepared for the game and that was that.”
Irsik said the message to his players this week was simple.
“Just win,” he said. “The standard here is we have a job to do, no matter what and we’re going to go out and win ballgames. It’s football, you might have 10 guys injured one week and it doesn’t matter. It literally does not matter. We’re just going to go play the game and play our best.”
The Gauchos dominated an overmatched Cordova team that has been outscored 77-0 in its first two games.
El Capitan senior quarterback Brian Carlson was perfect in the first half, completing all 11 of his passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns.
Carlson connected on a 7-yard touchdown pass to Tyson Espinoza in the first quarter and a 50-yard touchdown strike to Diego Ultreras in the second quarter to give the Gauchos a 14-0 lead at the half.
“He’s incredibly smart, he’s a great leader,” Irsik said. “He prepares better than almost any quarterback I’ve been around. He deserves a ton of credit. I wish I had him for four years, I don’t. He’s going to make a college coach really happy next year, I do know that.”
Carlson completed his first 15 passes before misfiring on his final attempt. He finished 15 of 16 for 161 yards and the two touchdowns.
Junior Dejuan Franklin ran hard, finishing with 100 yards on 19 carries. Franklin almost found the end zone, but fumbled at the goal line and teammate Trent Kayser recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown to extend the El Capitan lead to 21-0 in the third quarter.
Josh Gomez capped the scoring with an 11-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter.
The El Capitan defense turned in the program’s first shutout since the Gauchos defeated Golden Valley 31-0 on Sept. 22, 2017.
Carlson says there is a different vibe around the team this year.
“It’s the energy, honestly,” Carlson said. “Previous years, guys just wanted to come out, they just wanted to take the loss, go home and go to sleep. Now guys really want to come here every day, work hard, work their butts off. It’s an amazing feeling every day.”
El Capitan will try to make history again next week with a possible 3-0 start at home against Modesto Christian.
