Los Gatos football sheds Riordan, history with impressive Central Coast Section playoff victory
The third time was indeed the charm for the Los Gatos Wildcats.
After enduring back-to-back gut-wrenching home losses to West Catholic Athletic League opponents in Central Coast Section Quarterfinals—one on a last-minute pick-six, one on a two-point conversion in overtime—they turned back the Riordan Crusaders, 28-14.
“A good team beats a group of good individuals,” linebacker Henry Masters said. “We played as a team, and I think it showed on the scoreboard. I’m just enjoying the game with my friends.”
Jaylen Thomas caught a 33-yard touchdown pass from A.J. Minyard with 4:31 left in the third quarter, Scott Garwood ran for a 7-yard score on the second play of the fourth quarter and No. 4 Los Gatos (9-2) held the ball for more than 15 minutes in the second half to shut out the visiting Crusaders across the final two quarters.
“That’s a team over there that has so much talent, but what our guys have is heart and love for one another,” head coach Mark Krail said.
Krail’s Wildcats were 7-for-11 on third downs, none bigger than the 33-yard Minyard touchdown pass to Thomas. After getting the ball back on a short Riordan punt, Boxer Kopcsak-Yeung took a Minyard screen for a 22-yard gain on third-and-11 to open the fourth quarter, setting up Garwood’s touchdown.
Fifth-seeded Riordan (7-4) needed just three plays to cross midfield on the ensuing drive, but Henry Masters forced and recovered a fumble at the 36 on a strip, one that the Crusader sideline contested happened after the receiver’s knee was down.
The Wildcats held the ball for nearly five minutes after the fumble, and though they failed to turn it into any points when a 36-yard field goal try missed wide left with 5:45 left, the nine-play drive ate up valuable clock. Riordan converted a pair of third downs and a fourth down on the ensuing drive, but fizzled out after a holding flag wiped out a Michael Mitchell Jr. touchdown pass and turned the ball over on downs after coming up short on a fourth-and-14.
Kopcsak-Yeung then rushed for 53 yards across his final three carries, giving up 173 on 26 rushing attempts for the entire night.
“I always believe in my O-line,” Kopcsak-Yeung said. “I’m just looking for gaps. We work on technique, we put in the work in the weight room. Everything’s about how bad you want it, and no one wants it more than us.”
Had it been a wrestling match, Riordan’s linemen would have been in far higher weight classes than their Los Gatos counterparts. Yet the Wildcats held their own all night, rushing for 5.8 yards per carry and outgaining the Crusaders 455-390.
“We worked the clock and kept them on the sideline,” Krail said. “We controlled the ball in the second half, and the best defense against a great offense is an offense on your side that can control the ball.”
Mitchell completed 29 of 43 passes for 302 yards, but Riordan’s longest play only went for 27 yards.
“We didn’t give up the big play,” Krail said. “For a big-strike team like that, they were doing a lot of checking down and throwing the under routes, and our guys tackled really well. If you can hold the big over-the-top quick touchdowns, you’ve got a chance.”
The Crusaders entered the night averaging 32.6 points per game and had been held below 20 just twice all year, but Los Gatos forced three turnovers, including two immediately after Riordan takeaways.
“It seemed like every time we got into a rhythm offensively, we’d have a penalty or we’d turn the ball over,” said head coach Adhir Ravipati, whose team was flagged 12 times for 110 yards.
Tommy Tofi recovered a fumble for Riordan in the first quarter, only for Nate Goldsbury to tip a pass four plays later that Aaron Brin intercepted. Thomas then hauled in a 53-yard pass from Minyard, setting up Masters’ 11-yard touchdown run.
Boise State commit Tyrone Jackson intercepted a pass for the Crusaders midway through the third, but Garwood popped a ball loose two plays later that Goldsbury recovered at the Riordan 29. The Wildcats lost yardage on each of the next two plays, but Minyard found Thomas in the end zone on third-and-14.
“Jaylen 1-on-1 is pretty damn good,” Krail said of Thomas, who caught five passes for 116 yards.
His touchdown catch was an impressive grab, but his reception in double coverage with five seconds left in the second quarter was just as good. That play gave the Wildcats first-and-goal at the 9, but Los Gatos failed to turn it into points after a quick incompletion and a 26-yard field goal attempt that missed well to the left to end the half.
It didn’t dim Krail’s spirits, though.
“We’re tied at half, what more could we ask for? And we’re getting the football,” he told his team.
Next Friday, another WCAL team awaits as Los Gatos visits No. 3 St. Ignatius (7-4). SI lost to Riordan on Sept. 23, 41-34.
The Crusaders finish the year with defeats in three of their final four games.
“We’ve gotta be better, and we’ve gotta coach better,” Ravipati said. “I’m just really disappointed for our kids because they worked so hard. The way that we finished down the stretch, we’re capable of more.”
Los Gatos has won more Central Coast Section football championships than any other public school.
File photo: Courtesy Los Gatos High School
While Riordan does graduate a senior class headlined by Jackson, Kalolo Ta’aga and defensive tackle Mikatoa Scanlan, the cupboard certainly isn’t bare. Mitchell is just a sophomore, four-star wide receiver Chris Lawson is a junior and defensive end David Lee Jr. is only a freshman.
Lee, who was offered by Arizona a night earlier, forced three fumbles, though Riordan only recovered one of them. Lawson was considered doubtful to play after suffering a hamstring injury in last week’s win over Sacred Heart Cathedral, yet he caught 12 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, tying the game at 14 midway through the second quarter on a 16-yard score where he took a short Mitchell pass and proceeded to reverse the field and sweep around the entire defense.
That score came after Los Gatos needed just five plays to go 60 yards, with Kopcsak-Yeung scoring from three yards out after Minyard connected with Owen Panu for a 46-yard completion.
Minyard completed 12 of his 19 passes for 228 yards, with Panu catching five for 87. Before Minyard’s kneeldown on the final play of the game, Los Gatos had rushed for exactly 228 as well.
Ethan Kassel is one of Northern California's most respected, prolific and insightful prep sports journalists. His latest episodes of Bay Preps Insider can be heard on Apple Podcasts. Read his writings on Substack and follow him on Twitter/X @KasselMedia
