EL CAJON EL CAJON — When Poway High football coach Kyle Williams learned late that his star running back would be unavailable for Friday’s game against Grossmont, he turned to a familiar family to fill the void.
Granted it was just four hours before kickoff, but Williams had a gut feeling he could count on Luke Gonzalez, the son of former 15-year Poway coach Damian Gonzalez, who is now the athletic director and the one who favored Williams two years ago to get the job at his alma mater.
Just a junior with a mere 31 carries and 161 yards after six games, Luke Gonzalez rushed 21 times for 159 yards and a touchdown to lead the Titans to a hard-fought 20-14 nonleague win over Grossmont. He also had seven tackles at free safety.
“Luke Gonzalez was incredible,” said Williams, a 1998 Poway graduate. “He works harder than any player I’ve ever been around in my 21 years of coaching. He never comes off the field.
“He’s the guy who is always working on something after practice. Whatever it takes to get better.”
A coach’s son? You bet.
“I learned a lot from my dad,” Gonzalez said. “I think it shows on and off the field. I’m very lucky to have grown up in a football family.”
Leading rusher Conner Rath (870 yards, 8 TDs) was unavailable for personal reasons.
Gonzalez had 110 rushing yards in the first half as Poway took a 14-0 lead that then was matched by the Foothillers just before the half ended.
In the fourth quarter, Gonzalez reeled off a 43-yard gain that led to a 2-yard touchdown sneak by quarterback Dylan Curry with 3:27 left. The PAT was botched on a bad snap so Poway tried to hold its 20-14 lead.
Grossmont QB Trenton Giles hit Ryan Rodieck for a 26-yard gain and Elijah Williams for a 34-yarder. A few plays later, on fourth-and-3 from the Titans’ 10-yard line with 1:07 to play, Poway stuffed Giles for no gain.
With its third straight win, Division II Poway improved to 5-2 with tough losses coming against Division I powers Granite Hills (14-10) and Torrey Pines (26-6). Also playing a tough nonleague schedule, Division I Grossmont (2-5) lost its fifth in a row.
“We’re right there,” Grossmont rookie coach Chris Holmes said. “We’re a team on the brink.
“They executed their game plan well, and that (Gonzalez) was really tough. We knew they were going to be stout. They really leaned on that downhill run game.”
That would be Gonzalez and Gabe Taylor (48 yards) and a solid offensive line that gained a lot of confidence in a 5-0 spring season.
“I’m hurtin’ — like everywhere — but it feels great,” Gonzalez said. “My offensive line had a lot of confidence in Gabe and me. It was our turn to shine.”
At the end of a fierce first quarter — one that saw Grossmont make a goal-line stand from the 8-yard line and Juwan Rivera recover a fumble in the end zone to keep things scoreless — Curry tossed a beautiful long to Eric Gant on a post pattern, who then finished off a 65-yard TD for a 7-0 Poway lead.
On the Titans’ next drive, Gonzalez capped it with a 15-yard run to make it 14-0.
Grossmont’s offense came to life on its next series, driving 80 yards in nine plays and scoring on a 27-yard run by Giles.
The Foothillers’ Brennan Sanders then blocked a punt at the 27-yard line, and Grossmont made it 14-14 with 0:06 left before halftime on a 1-yard run by Giles.
Giles was 11 of 22 ing for 138 yards, and he rushed 22 times for 133 yards. Curry finished 10 of 14 ing for 123 yards and a TD with Gant grabbing four balls for 91 yards.
Lindgren is a freelance writer.
Grossmont Valley League
POWAY 20, GROSSMONT 14
Poway 7 7 0 6 — 20
Grossmont 0 14 0 0 — 14
P — Gant 65 from Curry (Wagenseller kick)
P — Gonzalez 15 run (Wagenseller kick)
G — Giles 27 run (Garcia kick)
G — Giles 1 run (Garcia kick)
P — Curry 2 run (kick failed)
