BY CRISTAL GOMEZ
Huskies end 2017 football season on a high note winning on a five-game winning streak with a 7-3 record.
Going into his second year as ELAC Head Coach, Bobby Godinez lead the team to the Patriotic Bowl. Coach Godinez replaced ex-head coach Eric Marty after having a total of eight losses.
To start off the season against Orange Coast, they won 31-22. A week after the first game, the team took a loss of 21-13 against Allan Hancock and then lost to Antelope Valley with a close margin of 16-14. After having a two game losing streak, the team finally got their momentum. During the five game stretch, the team won by a margin of 45.6 points per game, the highest game scored this season having been 71 points against Southwest Los Angeles College .
In the practices, the football players have noticed a difference in how they all have improved. Christian Velazquez, is a freshman who is the offensive line for the ELAC football team, said “The team is improving in each game, making sure they all put their 100 percent each play, drive, to better ourselves and each other for the games ahead.” Velazquez had also said that the team is continuing to get better after each game to prepare for the next challenge they will face on the field.
Ahmad “TJ” Diallo is a sophomore who is part of the defense line. Diallo suffered a broken ankle towards the end of the scrimmage season against Victor Valley. Finally able to play after being on the sidelines from recovering, he was able to get 15 tackles this season. “I did my job and made an adequate amount of plays. I was happy to be back on the field again,” Diallo said.
As the season came to a close, the last game was a bittersweet moment for the players. Preparation for the field and the excitement of playing the last game before the finals had everyone on their toes. “The game against Glendale was filled with certainty and unity. We were walking onto the field confident that we were going to win easily. We ended up winning that game in blowout fashion, 31-0. We were all excited because we haven’t blown out anyone all year,” said Velazquez.
As this was Diallo’s last game, he wished he had more time to play with the team, since he and his team members created a strong bond on and off the field. Diallo is currently going through the recruitment phase and is waiting to get more offers from other universities. Diallo and Velazquez both agree that the entire team as a whole have helped each other improve and continuously created a stronger unit.
The team has made a lot of improvements from the last season, going from 2-8 overall score last season and now a 9-2 total score for this season. Coach Godines and others are responsible for the team’s improvement.