By Nathan Nunez

SAN JOSE, CALIF.–Silver Creek High School’s varsity football team opened its season with a big win over Evergreen Valley on Friday, Aug. 29, showcasing both its offensive depth and team chemistry. 

The Raiders defeated the Cougars 41-7 scoring double digits points in the first half and maintaining control on both sides of the ball. Luescher says, “Playing down the street rivals is always good. Our physicality was great. We made mistakes that generally go along with being game one, but all of those were fixable and being addressed at film and at practice and our goal is just to get better from week to week.” 

The Silver Creek offense struck, putting up four touchdowns in the first two quarters. The Raiders built up a commanding lead by the half and never looked back. 

The defense also played a big part in Creek’s win, limiting Evergreen’s scoring opportunities and forcing several turnovers. Sophomore Quarterback Daniel Vo was sharp with efficient passing. Luescher says  “I was very pleased, he showed poise which is hard to do in your first start as a varsity quarterback, the things that he did wrong he addressed he’s trying to fix, he’s looking at his growing experience,” he also spoke on Vo as the captain, “I was also very pleased that his peers voted him as a captain, I think it speaks to his character.” 

During the game, the Raiders had a consistent run game with senior running back Elijah Guzman running for 104 yards and Senior Jordan Thompson with 2 rushing touchdowns. 

The Raiders’ offensive line gave consistent protection with senior Cameron Williams putting up 2 pancake blocks and senior Mark Gonzelz having 3 pancake blocks allowing the team to control the pace of the game. 

By the fourth quarter the Raiders had put 41 points on the board earning one of the largest margins of victory in recent program history(according to max preps).  For many players, the performance was about more than just the score on the board. Gonzalez says “The win over EV shows how much we as a team have improved from last year skill and connection wise.” 

Luescher says “ I think we have a really strong coaching staff for our players. Although they are young they are very talented. We are pretty strong at most if not all of our positions. The guys did a really good job in the weight room and over the summer prepping we just have to mature and grow from sophomores into mid season level players because the league’s not going to wait for us.” If you combine the Silver Creek squad with the coaching staff that Luescher has created over the summer, the Raiders will look ready to compete for a playoff spot this year.