7 minute read
Messages from the President, the Headmaster, the Athletic Director, and the Head Coach
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Dear Gonzaga Football Fans,
Gonzaga is extremely proud of our long, proud, and successful tradition of football on Eye Street. In particular, we are grateful for the graduating seniors, the class of 2020, who led our team to the first Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Championship title since 2002. Congratulations to Coach Trivers and the entire football program on another strong year on the gridiron. I am confident that our teams are poised to carry on the Gonzaga tradition of winning on and off of the field.
Playing in the WCAC, considered one of the premier high school athletic conferences in the nation, our Eagles face tough competition every time they take the field. While we would love to win all of our games, what is most important is the dedication, teamwork, selflessness, and excellent sportsmanship that our teams exhibit in victory and in defeat. In the end, it is the character of our Gonzaga community that matters most.
That sense of community has grown even stronger in my nine years as President. I see our students, faculty, and staff supporting each other continuously in all of their various endeavors, whether academic, athletic, artistic, spiritual, or professional. This is one of the many things that makes Eye Street so remarkable.
I am especially grateful to all of our players and coaches for their loyalty and commitment to Gonzaga. Thank you for your support of our football teams and may God bless you all.
Sincerely,
Rev. Stephen W. Planning, SJ President
HEADMASTER’S MESSAGE
Dear Gonzaga Football Fans,
Congratulations to the 2019-2020 Gonzaga Varsity Football Team on their 11th straight playoff appearance and on winning a record seven home games this Fall. Students and coaches alike should be proud of another great football season for the Eagles!
Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi once said, “Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” To me, this quote demonstrates the total team mentality required in the sport of football and in life. We saw this mentality demonstrated by our young men this year. To successfully make it through a school year balancing a commitment to faith, family, school and athletics is no easy task. I know that our boys consistently give their time and effort, not for personal glory, but for the benefit of the “group,” be it on the football field, in the classroom, at home or in the larger community. Therefore, by definition, a Gonzaga football player is a man for others.
It is always a good idea to reflect on the role of sports in a Jesuit school. Athletics at Gonzaga is about being generous with one’s God-given talents and life lessons like dedication, committment, and sacrifice. The hard work a studentathlete puts into the season is for the team, our school, and the season’s goal. Athletics is a part of cura personalis – the hallmark of Jesuit education – care of the whole person. Gonzaga forms young men who are well-rounded in body, mind, and spirit; young men who learn that giving one hundred percent is more important than wins and losses. The experiences of our students on the gridiron, in the classroom, and on retreats and Christian service projects, all work together in their respective formation into outstanding young men.
On behalf of the students and faculty, Gonzaga’s football players and coaches, I want to thank you all for your support of this program and for helping to make athletics such a positive experience for so many. The lessons our students can learn in a program such as this will last them a lifetime.
Congratulations to all the coaches and players! Go Eagles!
Sincerely,
Thomas K. Every II Headmaster
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
Dear Gonzaga Football Fans,
Gonzaga College High School offers 17 different varsity sports. We are fortunate to have highly supportive administrative and faculty, dedicated coaches and student athletes, and loyal parents and supporters of our athletic programs. 2019-2020 was certainly a different year for Gonzaga Athletics with the second semester being cut short due to the pandemic. However, of the 7 varsity teams that had the opportunity to compete for league championships in the Fall and Winter semesters, 4 earned titles. Additionally, Eagle teams won 2 DC State Championships.
Gonzaga Football had another strong season. For a ninth straight year, the
Eagles defeated Georgetown Prep to win the final installment of the Jesuit Gridiron Classic and to retain the Coup-Kozik Cup. The team also beat Florida powers - American Heritage and Plant - as well as, two-time national champion Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey. The highlight of the year was the team’s win over DeMatha in front of a packed Eye Street crowd on Reunion Weekend to honor the memory of beloved alum and Athletic Hall of Fame football player, Michael Lynn ‘95.
Congratulations to all of the members of the 2019 Football Team and thanks to all of our coaches’ hard work and dedication. Thanks to all of the members of the Touchdown Club for their outstanding support of Gonzaga Football. A special thanks to the seniors for four memorable years including this year’s record seven home wins. Farewell and good luck! Eagles fly high!
Sincerely,
Joe Reyda ‘85 Athletic Director
HEAD COACH’S MESSAGE
Dear Gonzaga Football Family,
More often than not, it seems natural for complacency to follow success. The saying “good is the enemy of great” is an ongoing challenge for high achieving teams aspiring to sustain success. Although the 2019 Gonzaga College High School Football Eagles fell short of winning back to back WCAC Championships, the team accomplished some uniquely impressive achievements.
Buchanan Field is a unique venue for high school football, and over the years, Gonzaga has had many memorable moments and seasons. The 2019 Eagles became the 1st team in Gonzaga’s illustrious history to truly validate Bucahanan’s “home field advantage” by capturing an unprecedented 7 home regular season victories. Inclusive in the unbeaten campaign were victories against 3 teams visiting from the state of Florida, 2 of which have won multiple Florida state championships. Furthermore, the challenging home schedule included local rival DeMatha who has won more conference titles than any school in our area. Thus, the 7 wins included several formidable opponents.
In addition, these Eagles closed one of high school football’s most storied rivalries with a 31-7 victory on the road against Georgetown Prep. This was the 62nd showdown between the 2 schools and the 17th Jesuit Gridiron Classic. Hopefully the rivalry will someday experience a rebirth, but if not, the 2019 Eagles capped it off in grand fashion!
Gonzaga students forge a uniquely strong brotherhood during their time on Eye Street. Within the 2019 Eagle team, the Class of 2020 Senior members exemplified the Gonzaga brotherhood to the fullest. 100% of the senior class participated in Gonzaga’s Football Program for all 4 years. 15 student-athletes and 1 student-manager began their football journey in August of 2016 and remained side-by-side through thick and thin until season’s end in November of 2019. The final semester of their journey as students wasn’t what any of these young men expected, but they forged an unbreakable bond of TOGETHERNESS with unwavering TRUST upon their TOUGHNESS being tested. Unfortunately, the final days leading to their originally scheduled graduation ceremony were altered greatly by the Covid19 pandemic.
Yet in typical fashion, it is NOW clear to see how the 2020 Class EMBRACED difficult circumstances so they could FINISH on Buchanan Field with their 8th and final victory coming 1 year after their originally scheduled graduation date. The 2019 Eagle football team will be remembered for their many achievements, but most importantly respected for their devotion to and for God’s greater glory!
AMDG,
Randy Trivers Head Football Coach “The 2019 Eagle football team will be remembered for their many achievements, but most importantly respected for their devotion to and for God’s greater glory!”
