Pittsburg’s Swashbuckler Football Survival Guide – The 2019 Pirates Have Battled Their Way Through The Types Of Adversity That Have Derailed Their Most Recent Predecessors

photo credit: David Gershon

photo credit: David Gershon

photo credit: Chace Bryson

photo credit: David Gershon

By Ben Enos

In most cases, the loss of a quarterback to injury would qualify as one of the most adverse circumstances a high school football team could face.

That isn’t the case at Pittsburg High School this season.

The ability to overcome the adversity of an injury under center might just serve as the perfect example of a journey that has carried the Pirates to a 11-1 record and a spot in the North Coast Section Division I final. Pittsburg will meet De La Salle at 7 p.m. Friday in a championship tilt at Dublin High.

Make no mistake, Pittsburg’s usual stockpile of talent is still present, and no coach would turn down a roster that features 33 seniors. But to hear those around the program tell it, skill set isn’t the defining characteristic of a team from whom four wins have come by less than a touchdown.

“We’re not selfish at all. We want everybody to win and everybody to shine,” senior quarterback Jerry Johnson said. “We do our best in practice and in the weight room. It starts in the weight room. There’s a bond we have. We don’t put each other down; we encourage each other and we want everybody to execute.”

Johnson sits No. 1 on the depth chart at quarterback, and in a 41-0 section quarterfinal win over James Logan, the tall right-hander showed exactly why. He turned in a spotless 15-for-20, 201-yard, 3-touchdown performance. He followed that up with a 275-yard, 3-TD effort in a 21-14 semifinal win over Bay Valley Athletic League-rival Liberty.

The efforts were perfect examples of a season that has placed him among the best signal-callers coach Victor Galli has ever had. And through 12 games, Johnson already has over 2,500 yards passing and a sparkling 33-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Those numbers haven’t always come easy. A troublesome ankle injury has forced Johnson to the sideline in a couple of key moments. But, even with that hurdle to overcome, the Pirates haven’t buckled under the weight of the situation.

Instead, fellow senior Santino Chavez has stepped up to the plate when called upon. After battling with Johnson for the starting job before the season, Chavez assumed the backup role and, instead of writing off his final high school season, stayed ready for anything that might come up.

He was certainly ready in Pittsburg’s first battle with Liberty. With the Pirates trailing by a touchdown and Johnson sent to the sideline, Chavez engineered the game-tying drive, connecting with Brian Pierce Jr. for the game-tying 7-yard touchdown with just under three minutes remaining. Pittsburg went on to win 24-21 in overtime.

Two weeks later, Chavez was ready again. He took over in the final moments of the annual Big Little Game against Antioch and again found Pierce for a 10-yard touchdown that proved the eventual winning score in a 42-41 victory.

“(Jerry) has been great, and when Tino’s had his opportunity, he’s been really good. We’re in a really good quarterback situation,” Galli said. “I think what kind of drove them both was that Tino was here and it was a competition. Nothing got handed to them. It was a good competition and we’re fortunate to have two really good guys.”

Pierce has had the opportunity to work with both Johnson and Chavez and speaks glowingly of the chemistry he has with each. The extra work put in after practice has allowed either quarterback to connect with the receiving corps no matter the situation.

After transferring from El Cerrito for his senior season, Pierce has fit in quickly both as a playmaker and a leader. He points to a bond that goes much further than just the passing game to describe why the Pirates have found success in trying circumstances.

“We’ve built a good team chemistry. Everybody on the team is ready,” Pierce said. “There’s nobody we leave behind. We practice how we play and we’ve come out on top because we push that extra mile in practice. It shows on the field.”

With another major test looming in Liberty, the Pirates aren’t quite ready for reflection when it comes to the road they’ve traveled.

But those close results, whether narrow BVAL victories over rivals or tight nonleague wins over tough NorCal opponents like St. Mary’s-Stockton or Wilcox-Santa Clara, might serve as a foundation to build on if they’re going to upset the heavily-favored Spartans (winners of their last 27 section championship games).

“Quite honestly, we ended up 9-1 and had a good record but we were in some close games. The past four years, we’ve lost some close games that could’ve easily went our way. This team happens to be winning those games,” Galli said. “We could be 6-4 but this team has fought through that.

“That’s one of the great things about this team – its resilience and its ability to play through games like that. And, some good fortune helps too. These guys deserve it. It is good to win those close games because it seemed like these past four years, those football Gods weren’t shining as bright on us.”

This is an updated version of a story which first ran at SportStarsMag.com on Nov. 20. Visit the site to find more local sports features like this one.