There will not be a Samohi-Venice game this year and that’s about the only thing that saddens Venice football coach Angelo Gasca.
Going into the first game of the season, a non-conference game at Harvard-Westlake on Friday, Gasca has all the reasons to be confident. The 2010 Gondoliers are stacked with skilled players and although they have a senior quarterback whose backup is a freshman, the senior is steady.
“We’ve got a good chance to be good for the next couple of years,” Gasca said before practice Wednesday.
Dean Sarabia, the 6-foot-1-inch, 185-pound junior quarterback, displayed confidence and play-making ability as he threw for four touchdowns in last week’s scrimmage against Garfield High. Defense also stepped up, returning two interceptions for touchdowns.
“I don’t feel any pressure,” Sarabia said. “I was on the team last year. We hope to be better than 10-2.”
Gasca is looking to Sarabia to orchestrate the explosive offense, with a number of weapons at receiver. All-City receiver Teondray Caldwell, who also rushed for 400 yards on 47 carries last year, will be running the ball more. He had 776 yards receiving on 51 catches last season and is developing as the team’s go-to player, the leader.
“I feel if I lead this team, we’ll get there [14-0],” he said. He is specifically looking to have a breakout season, considering the University of Oregon has recruited him and he wants to go there.
Another top receiver for the Gondoliers is three-year starter Larry Clark, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound senior. Clark was second on the team in receiving yards last season, accounting for 703 yards on 37 receptions, and he hopes to have even a stronger season before continuing on to college at UCLA or San Diego State.
“We want to win a championship,” he said. “That’s the goal. We have more skill players and we’re more intense.”
The Gondoliers’ coaching staff is intact – save for offensive line coach Ron Price, who departed for Fairfax. Former player Calvin Ferns has taken over the offensive line duties, Gasca said.
As far as the Samohi rivalry, it was suspended due to fear of repeat of off-the-field problems that plagued last season’s match-up, a close 31-28 Gondolier victory, Gasca said. Possible gang-related violence was cited as the reason.
