Alvarez football

Pacific Coast Athletic League 
Gabilan Division

Alvarez (1-6, 3-7)

 Three straight 3-7 regular seasons means the Eagles are on their third coach in four years. Yet, it did not keep them from moving down in the new Pacific Coast Athletic League.

  During that span, Alvarez has struggled in the Gabilan Division, having gone 4-15 in league play, 1-6 last year. While change has created a different vibe, the division has only gotten stronger.

 "We're going to change how things are run," first year coach Anthony Gonzales said. "Kids will be held accountable. You need to buy into it because this is how it's going to be."

 An Alvarez graduate, Gonzales has coached on both ends of the spectrum, having been an assistant when Alvarez was 0-10 and 10-0 in back-to-back seasons.

 "It's a process," Gonzales said. "We have to change the culture to succeed in this league. But I have seen it turn around here overnight."

 While Gonzales is retooling the roster, he has lined up a pretty talented coaching staff that includes former New Orleans Saints Pro Bowl lineman and Super Bowl champion Carl Nicks.

 Now comes the hard part in molding a group of players into one, getting them to believe that Alvarez can compete with the elite in arguably the second strongest division in the CCS.

 Three teams in the Gabilan Division this fall won Central Coast Section divisional titles last season. The only team that didn't make the playoffs among the eight is Alvarez.

 "We're seeing the transition," Gonzales said. "It just hasn't been consistent. We had a great practice last Thursday. Not so on Friday. What we need is the seniors to buy into what we're trying to do."

 Gonzales, a former player at Alvarez, will rely on a core of returning defensive players to build his squad around, starting with safety Antonio Martinez.

 Last season the senior had three interceptions in one game. He will be the glue to the secondary for the Eagles, perhaps the strength of the unit.

 "As a senior, I want to lead by example," Martinez said. "We needed a change. Last year didn't sit well with me. I'm pushing my teammates. As a unit, we have to back each other."

 In an effort to build continuity on and off the field, Gonzales had the team take part in leadership classes in the off-season.

 "It's about accountability," Gonzales said.

 If the Eagles can slow the game down and chew up the clock by sustaining drives, the defense will not wear down like it did in the second half last year.

 Ben Perez was adequate as a fill-in at quarterback last year, and gives the Eagles another dimension with his vision and ability to escape the pocket.

 The senior was efficient when called upon, throwing for nearly 400 yards and two scoring strikes on 38 completions last season. One of his targets will be Nathan Ventura.

 "We're running a brand new system," Gonzales said. "Even my coaches are learning it. We're going to run a Wing-T. When our lineman execute, it looks good."
 Johnny Rodriguez, who showed glimpses of his potential last season playing behind a 1,000 yard running back, will have his role expanded in this offense along with Branden Lopez.
 Defensively,  Daniel De La Cruz will have a bigger role on the defensive line, while Rodriguez will see time in the secondary.

  Alvarez is just three years removed from its last postseason appearance. The program has proven in the past that it can compete in the upper division, having gone 8-4 in 2014.

 "It's going to take some time," said Gonzales, whose squad opens its season Aug. 24 at Burlingame, a team it has never beaten. "Getting that first win is critical. It can change a lot of things real quick."

 Alvarez has started the season 2-0 in each of the last two years before running into a wall of playoff caliber teams. Offensively, it has to get better if it wants to be competitive once league play heats up.

 After scoring 72 points in two non-league wins last fall, the Eagles produced just 45 points in six straight losses -- 27 coming in one game.

 "We're going to keep pounding positive reinforcement in them," Gonzales said. "But it can't just be me and the staff preaching. The kids need to believe they can do it."