Wow!!! Now we have THE BIG RED at Gunn and THE BIG GREEN MACHINE at Paly!

We all are hoping Gunn gets the courage to play Paly next year, will be a packed house!

The only BIG RED in Palo Alto is Stanford and for Paly to have beaten Santa Clara by such a large margin speaks volumes in terms of the Santa Clara defense.

A red-green Gunn VS Paly game would be very colorful around December.

63 points averages to roughly 21 points scored per quarter.

It must have been a long and demoralizing day on the gridiron for the Santa Clara High School varsity football team.

I am constantly being shouted down for suggesting this on here, but the solution is for Gunn and Santa Clara to swap conferences (with each other).

John
[Portion removed.] Santa Clara and Gunn cannot swap conferences. They are already in the same conference (CCS) Technically, they're in the Central Conference of CCS. They are also in the same League (SCVAL). They are in different divisions of SCVAL. Gunn is in the lower El Camino Division and Santa Clara is in the upper De Anza division.

They can't even just "swap" divisions. I would assume you know all of this given the diatribes you have given on high school football. The top team from the El Camino moves up to the De Anza and the bottom team in De Anza moves down to El Camino. In 2019, I believe, Homestead was the top El Camino team, so they are playing in the De Anza division this year. I also think Fremont finished last in the De Anza division so is now playing in the El Camino division.

The historically dominant top teams in the De Anza (LG, Wilcox, Paly and you used to be able to count Milpitas), always beat up on the other teams in the league. It's been that way for many years with little change.

The only difference by substituting Gunn for Santa Clara would be the color of the uniforms. Most everyone is well aware of that. There might be a year here and there where that might be different, but highly unlikely. Although, I don't see a very bright future for Paly over the next couple years, especially not with the coach they have.

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Paly and Gunn prep football is more along the lines of a recreational intramural sports program except that the players get to suit-up and earn block letters for being there.

In other parts of CA (i.e. North San Diego County) high school football is taken very seriously by the respective communities, even in the predominantly white upper-middle class neighborhoods.

Maybe it's a regional mindset as various SoCal high school football teams have turned out more succesfull collegiate and NFL players than all of the SCVAL combined.

And the same applies to prep baseball.

So just let the Paly and Gunn football players go out there and have a little fun.

Life is too short.

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Most parochial prep schools and their respective student bodies are high school football enthusiasts.

St. Francis, Bellarmine, Serra, & Sacred Heart have huge followings and perhaps this explains why their prep football teams are noticeably better than what the SCVAL has to offer.

And let’s not even get into the SoCal high school football juggernauts.

It’s a matter of community pride and perhaps this factor is lacking when it comes to following or promoting Palo Alto prep football.

A lack of community pride.

There, you said it, Mr Jeffries. That's the most honest answer I've heard for being against a Paly v. Gunn annual football game.

At this point both schools are putting a competitive and successful product on the field with an increased number of players and this I understand has not always happened , so why not just enjoy it and support both as this is one community taking on others and finding success. There is an opportunity to take pride in Palo Alto as a whole and the athletes in the community from both schools. Both coaches are putting in the time and gaining all the recourses they can to be successful , don't tear them down . The kids are all working hard and deserve the support regardless of where they live. As a resident isn't it kind of cool to pick up the paper on a Saturday and see Gunn won 58 -0 and Paly won 60 something to something ? I would think so
"Life is short " enjoy the ride :)

Why can't scholastics and prep football go hand in hand?

On the collegiate level and with the possible exception of places like Ohio State University, Florida State University, and the University of Southern California (among others), many of the noteworthy college football and basketball universities (i.e. University of Michigan/Ann Arbor University of North Carolina/Chapel Hill, UC Berkeley etc.) also promote a strong commitment to academics.

Why can't Gunn and Paly share both commitments... to high scholastic achievment and sports prowess?

Have the evolving demographics of our local communities altered this perspective or are kids simply too lax (or uncoordinated) to play serious prep sports nowadays?

Or do we blame the parents?

yes, DL, and last night, Cal Berkeley's own Aaron Rogers rhapsodized about the romance of football, didn't he? (and Berkeley is a smart person's school, some say smarter than Stanford even...).

To DL's question, maybe evolving demographics is correct. You would think that with modern times, comes more diversity, but that seems to be the opposite of what happened in PA with the tech. people (and their world view and preferences) selfishly in greater and greater control. Now, these people did not struggle really to get their stock options and so forth, so they...mistrust, are offended, are frightened, even angry when they see "those" people/barbarians at the gate so to speak, who appear to like a sport celebrating triumph through violence, sweat, and mass struggle.

Maybe there is also a waning interest in following prep sports (along with the admiration of certain athletic endeavors) on the part of the current female high school population?

In other words, perhaps there are no real incentives for a 'typical' Palo Alto/Gunn high school male student to pursue athletics.

Rock guitar heroes are also out.

In Silicon Valley, computer nerds and online gamers now reign supreme.

The incentive is community pride. The Catholic schools have it with respect for football, as TJ points out above. I've yet to hear a persuasive argument for an alternative.

@John B. Sails/a resident of Midtown

It is very difficult to encourage (or convince) a community to take an active interest in something they care little about.

This is not an issue in other parts of the country and/or state based on local priorities and community mindsets.

But you know, MK, over the past 10 years or so, I have observed many youth football, rugby, track and field, and wrestling communities, in and around Palo Alto, and I found LOTS of happiness and community spirit. Lots of young people who were off their devices, for several hours at a time. Maybe not so many computer nerds, but why does everything have to be about THEM? [Portion removed.]

@John B. Sails/a resident of Midtown

No argument on my part against any cross-town high school football game.

Just saying that you cannot force the interest level if it it not there to begin with.

Okay, fair enough. We are just coming out of a pandemic where the fit don't die but the unfit might. Football conditions kids to fitness. This is a good thing. but besides the actual football game, do you like music, MK? The Paly band is really good. They play "Butter (like a criminal undercover)" by BTS; and "Land of 1000 Dances" by Wilson Pickett; and "All Right Now" by Free, I think it was. Or dancing? They have dance performers. and cheerleaders with catchy cheers. I've only heard it once, but one goes "All around the world, you know this story, all around the world, this is VIKINGS territory." See, community spirit? and at football games, students can hang out with friends, go to the concession stand for a taco or soda, even if they don't have a driver's license yet, etc. Why do you think you would dislike it if you went? How about I promise that if go, you can stay in the blue tribe?

@John B. Sails/a resident of Midtown

Given your enthusiasm for high school football, maybe you should consider starting a community-based booster club to promote prep athletics.

Procuring corporate and commercial business endorsements/sponsorships could go a long way towards fulfilling your advocacies.

It's different in other parts of the country and state.

Car and tractor dealerships, hardware stores, diners etc. are often avid prep football boosters and the entire community takes an ongoing interest in these weekend sports activities.

Maybe Palo Alto could enlist a Tesla/BMW/Mercedes auto dealership to get involved along with Nieman Marcus, the Apple Store, Whole Foods, and the plethora of obscure dining establishments lining both University and California Avenues.

Palo Alto is no longer a community with any real interest in prep football.

Old-timers will recall 'The Little Big Game' that used to be held at Stanford Stadium between Sequoia and Paly on Thanksgiving Day.

It was a big deal back then.

° "63 points averages to roughly 21 points scored per quarter."

More like roughly 16 points per quarter but who's counting?

A 63-whatever football score is generally not an enjoyable football game regardless of who you are rooting for.

Like watching a 15-3 baseball game.

Boring.