The Wilcox fall sports teams started off Charger strong this season, displaying fantastic effort and teamwork in all of their games and practices. Although there have been a few losses amongst the large number of victories, the teams are still continuing to exhibit the determination and enthusiasm that the Chargers are known for.
The Wilcox varsity football team suffered three losses against Monterey Trail, Valley Christian, and San Benito. However, they soon bounced back from their defeat by crushing Pioneer and Mountain View. Their coach, Paul Rosa, says “We had a little bit of a rough start, losing three out of our first four games in the pre-season,” he remarks. “However, we played very good competition and I think it will prepare us for our league play. The team is getting better every day and if they can keep improving, we should have a successful season.”
The JV football team, on the other hand, has a consecutive winning streak. “One big thing that helped us a lot is that these freshman did an off-season weightlifting program that we’ve never done before,” claims Coach Frank Gilfillan. “I feel like that makes a big difference in where we’re at.” Gilfillan continued, stating that “This season is going really well, the student athletes are working really hard, and they’re getting better. They don’t need a whole lot of motivation because they’re very good about staying motivated and focused on their own. We try to get better every single opportunity we can.”
The girls varsity volleyball team are six and six losing against Monta Vista, King’s Academy, Hillsdale, Gunn, Fremont, and Pioneer. Nevertheless, they have won six games against Santa Cruz, Oak Grove, Castilleja, Milpitas, Santa Clara, and Alma Heights Christian. Coach April Lujan says the girls are working very hard to break their tie and to have a great season.
The boys varsity water polo team has unfortunately lost every game they played this season up to date. They were beaten by Lynbrook , Gunn, Los Altos, Willow Glen, Harker, Homestead, Mountain View, Palo Alto, and Los Gatos. Coach Rich Cruzen but the boys are making an effort to improve their scores.
The girls varsity water polo team lost their first two games of the season against rival school Santa Clara, along with Saratoga. Fortunately, the girls won the next two against Silver Creek and Fremont. However, they were defeated once again in their next three matches against Mountain View, Ann Sobrato, and Homestead.
Coach Scott Blake, when asked how he motivates his players, replied “The neat thing about ‘extra-curricular’ activities is that students can choose which ways to spend their time” he states. “Water polo is difficult. It’s physically demanding, like most of the other team sports, but it literally hurts and is difficult to see or read after practices due to impact of two hours in the chlorinated water – making after practice homework a real chore.” He continues to discuss that it takes a real love for the sport to become dedicated and continue to play.
Blake mentions that at the varsity level, there are many important aspects needed to be successful not only as an athlete, but as a team. “We’re spending most of our time in fundamentals, so I would guess if you took a poll of the team my style is more “demanding” and less “motivating,” Blake remarks. “I feel that this group has a lot more in them than many of the previous girl’s water polo squads at Wilcox.”
Unlike the varsity team, however, Blake tries to keep the practices for his JV team more fun and less demanding. Since they lost 25 to 30% of JV and varsity athletes, Blake makes sure to prioritize keeping more players. He reveals that there is “a ton to learn before you even figure the game out or have the conditioning levels to understand if it’s something you like or not.” I try to keep those groups more ‘motivated,” he notes.
The girls varsity tennis team, much like the girls varsity volleyball team, are struggling with a tied score. Their first match of the season against Santa Clara resulted in a tie. However, they were defeated in their second game against Fremont and they beat Santa Clara in their most recent game.
The girls JV tennis team lost their first game against Fremont. Their coach, Matt Huth, says, “This season is going well, we are young and inexperienced, but so far so good. The girls are learning and catching up very quickly. Something that’s different this year is that we have a lot more girls that came out than in the previous couple of years, so right now we are a little bit more inexperienced, but we have a lot more girls out here to work with.”
Overall, this season has been considerably great. Many new memories and friendships were made between student athletes, and many new goals were accomplished. Wilcox will definitely charge into other seasons, and the remainder of this one, with an eager and devoted spirit.