Gavilan College is located in the Gilroy, Calif., near the Santa Cruz Mountains and just south of the Bay Area metro area. Chances are you've never heard of it. I hadn't before today.
But head coach Mike Dovenberg and his staff and players have done an excellent job in this video, a teaser for the 2015 season, at creating a sense of urgency around their football program in an otherwise sleepy area of the country. "I would recommend anybody coming to Gavilan," said running back Devin "Beast Mode" Carpenter. "If you like to compete, if you like to play ball, if you ain't scared to play ball, then this is the place to come."
"We've got kids from Hollister, Calif., kids from the East Coast, kids from the South, Colorado, the Midwest," added special teams coordinator/defensive line coach Alvin Medina, "and they're all coming here."
Like any good head coach, Dovenberg sets the tone for a passionate football program with his own brand of passion.
"One word or phrase to describe me, I hope it describes me, passion," he said. "I would hope everybody that has played for me or plans on playing for me knows I care about them. I'm passionate about their success, I'm passionate about the lessons this game will teach, and I'm passionate about the game itself. I'm passionate about competition. I'm passionate about winning. I think it's a good way to live life, to be known as someone who's passionate."