After 0-49, can Ganesha HS actually make playoffs?
Football coach Dave Fleming's first season at Ganesha was a rousing success.
It consisted of two victories.
But when you haven't won a game on the field since the 2003 season-opener, winning not once but twice represents a mammoth leap. The former Diamond Ranch assistant ended a state-record losing streak on the field at 49 games (Ganesha won a couple of forfeits since the '03 season opener).
Had he switched the 6-1, 250-pound Justin Goytia from offensive line to fullback before the season, Fleming believes Ganesha could have improved exponentially.
"If I would have used Justin at fullback last year, we could have won six to eight games," Fleming said. "I'm not kidding, this kid has a chance to be special. It was my first year and that was a big mistake I made, not realizing that he could have helped us so much more."
In a year devoid of clear favorites in the Valle Vista League, the playoffs may even be a possibility for Ganesha. First things first... the Giants need to win a Valle VIsta League game, something they haven't done since a forfeit win over Baldwin Park in 2003.
I like Fleming's attitude. He doesn't fill the team with false hope (hopefully because they have real reason for hope). He blends tough love with a realistic outlook. And he's big enough to admit a mistake he thinks could have more than doubled Ganesha's win total last season.
Really, the Giants weren't too far off last year. They lost to eventual playoff team Covina 21-20. They went 2-3 in nonleague and two of the losses were to playoff teams. Tough to expect them to compete with San Dimas (10-2) and league champ Covina Northview (9-3). They hung in for the first half before Pomona pulled away and only lost to Baldwin Park 35-26.
I wouldn't bet on Ganesha making the playoffs this season but for the first time in a long while, it's not out of the question. San Dimas graduated its entire backfield. Pomona switched coaches. Baldwin Park's only league win came against Ganesha last season and Covina escaped the Giants with a 1-point win.
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About Clay
Clay Fowler has been covering high school sports for six years in California and Texas. He was born in Dallas, attended the University of Texas and worked in Central Texas before joining the Daily Bulletin staff in 2006.
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Please, you would have won 6 to 8 games by moving a kid to fullback. Never happen. Won't happen in Valle Vista either. Maybe when you get to Montview.