Early Halloween night, Tracy High’s Junior Varsity Football Bulldogs defeated their rival school, the Kimball Jaguars, completing a 10-0 season for the first time in over a decade.
The Dogs started the season off strong against West High School scoring 51-6 and ended against Kimball High School scoring 57-0.
“It [going 10-0] means a lot to me,” head coach Nelson Guillen said. “I’m very proud of our team and coaching staff for all the hard work they put in.”
Coaches and athletes describe the hard work and time the Bulldogs put in to achieve this.
“Starting in May, until the end, all the workouts, sprint practices in 100 degree weather and the team becoming a family,” Nelson Guillen stated.
JV quarterback, Jacob Palumbo, believes the team’s success was created through hard work.
“It was a team effort;” Palumbo added. “Everyone did their jobs.”
The football season was a grind, containing many pivotal moments for the team.
Mike Lemos, the defensive coordinator, said he loved seeing the team grow and get better each week. Lemos believes defense played a great role in the team’s success.
“We only gave up 79 points all year,” Lemos said. “I think they played excellent.”
Marcus Guillen, the offensive coordinator, was proud of the offensive efforts throughout the season.
“Looking at the numbers, we scored 345 points all year,” Marcus Guillen stated.
Both Marcus Guillen and Lemos both agree on what was the hardest part of the season.
“The hardest part [was] starting up through summer [and] the beginning of the year,” Lemos and Marcus Guillen agreed.
With such success, one might find it difficult to decide on the best part of the season, however, the coaches declared the best moment of the season to be defeating Pleasant Valley.
“I’d say there’s a couple highlights, beating Pleasant Valley up there at 21-20, in a great game,” said Lemos.
Going 10-0 was a big accomplishment for the team, resulting in a big celebration.
“It was a goal I set for our team and we achieved it,” Nelson Guillen concluded.
