Mustang power

I am not one to watch football, and I have never been full of spirit for my old high school. But I have to admit I certainly got into the game last Friday between the Gilroy Mustangs and the Hollister HayBalers. The rivalry goes back 53 years to the very first Prune Bowl, as the annual game has been dubbed.

Trust me when I say people take the rivalry seriously. Working in Hollister, I often get razzed by San Benito High School graduates for being a Gilroy high grad. In fact, I picked out several of my coworkers on the other side of the field, and I am sure I was the only one sitting on the visitors' side of the stadium.

This year was the last Prune Bowl since a new high school opened in Gilroy this year and there will be some new rivalry created between the two schools. It will probably be dubbed the Garlic Bowl. So there was a lot on the line this year.

The trophy has been in Gilroy for two years, but the team hasn't had the best run this season. There was a new batch of coaches, the star quarterback graduated last year and some seniors quit the team mid-season, from what I hear. With only a couple wins under their belt, Gilroy's players went up against the Balers, who had lost just one game all season.


We arrived at Andy Hardin Stadium just after 6 p.m. after parking in a secret lot that only locals know about, and we found a front row seat in the bleachers. The JV game was half over and the Mustangs lost by a few points. But as anyone knows, only the varsity game counts. The varsity Mustangs came out strong and scored quickly. The game kept the crowd on the edge of their seats as the teams took turns in the lead.

The weather was cold, as it always is in Hollister, and we were still unprepared for the chill even with a handful of blankets and hoodie sweatshirts. But it was a good enough game that we were willing to sit through it to the end even as our cheeks turned bright red from the cold and our teeth chattered.


I still can't say I understand the game, but there were some plays that even I knew were awesome as one of the Mustangs intercepted the ball and ran all the way down the field for a touchdown. The crowd collectively stood up and cheered, "Go, Go, Go." And it was as though the players could hear us. It was the first game all season that the cheerleaders actually seemed to get into, leading the audience in chants. It was the only time in my life where I could kinda understand the reason so many people get so into football.


In the last quarter, the Mustangs were still down a few points. Minutes from the end of the game, they scored the final touchdown and kick, taking the lead. The Mustangs won 35 to 30 and secured possession of the VFW trophy for perpetuity. It was a good game and it was exciting to watch my home town win. But I guess I feel a little bad for the Balers, who I know really wanted the win, too.

But don't think this has made me into a football. The last three years have been enough to last me for at least a decade.