Last August was a whirlwind for the Santa Clara Bruins football program. Head Coach Nelson Gifford took over the job as a last minute replacement without any summer or spring work with his players. Therefore, preparations for the season were significantly sped up, essentially a crash-course education in learning the playbook.
Flash forward a year later, and with Gifford returning for a second season, summer sessions on the gridiron have flowed far smoother.
“Absolutely, night and day difference,” responded Gifford on comparing last year at this time to now. “Knowing from the start of the year that I’m going to be the head coach, [the players] know that I’m going to be the head coach, having all the staff returning, their familiarity with me, my familiarity with them, there is value in experience.”
Bruins lineman Santiago Lopez echoed his coach’s sentiment with his thoughts on how preseason practices have been this season.
“It feels nice. It feels like we are getting more chemistry than last year,” said Lopez. “This being the second year with Coach Gifford, most of us have already played with him, so the chemistry with coach and our teammates is already there. I think this will be a good year for us.”
Experience and chemistry are what the Bruins will be leaning on, particularly in week one of the season when they take on the MacDonald Condors. Santa Clara will be the only team on the field with varsity experience as MacDonald will be playing its first ever varsity game. The Condors’ oldest players are all juniors, none of whom have ever played varsity before.
“They are going to be stoked [for their first game],” chimed Bruins captain AJ Castillo. “They are going to play their best game, and we are going to play our best game, and we will see who the better team is.”
While both teams are certainly working hard to prepare to be the better team, an argument can be had that sometimes the team that plays loose and free will have the advantage. The final few minutes of Bruins practice saw Santa Clara working a play that looked reminiscent of the San Francisco 49ers style of football.
“It’s real fun to run plays like that,” beamed Bruins’ tailback Jayden Forks. “I’ve seen that on TV and to come here and do the same exact thing is like a dream come true.”
The Bruins will also be doing the same exact thing as their other crosstown rival Wilcox Chargers, in that they will be starting a sophomore at quarterback. Kalani Tesimale will be under center for Santa Clara.
“He’s a real nice kid, great guy,” chimed senior receiver Hamzah Punjsheri. “All of us skill players have strengthened our bond with him. He’s a great quarterback, leader on the field, knows what he has to do, knows how to be the offensive general on the field.”
“If you spoke with him, you would be as impressed with him as any young person,” praised Gifford on his starting quarterback. “He’s a coach’s son. He’s a three-sport athlete here; he does football, basketball and baseball. He’s a really, really good student, so he checks all the boxes you want from an offensive leader on your team. I feel really fortunate to be able to coach him.”
Tesimale and the rest of the Bruins will get their first chance to reward their coach’s faith when they take on those aforementioned Condors on Aug. 30.