By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
GERVAIS, Ore.– Frank Ojeda had his hands full going into his sophomore season when he took over the starting job at Quarterback for the Gervais Cougars.
But thanks to a strong supportive team around him, Ojeda flourished as he helped lead the Gervais Football team to their first State Semifinal appearance since 1951
“It was a big role to play, and I felt the pressure going in, but with this team, they accepted me as their Quarterback. We just connected. It was like a family thing, I just suited there perfectly,” said Ojeda. “I made a few mistakes, but I’m here to fix them this year.
“This year. I feel like we’ll come back better. Not losing too many seniors from last year, I feel like we got the same squad and the same confidence as last year.
The heartbreak from that 2A State Semi-Final defeat to Oakland has driven the Cougars during this offseason as they make the move up to 11-man and a return to 3A football for the first time since the 2017-2018 season.
And they got a chance to show that last season wasn’t just a flash in the pan with the returning cast they’ll have returning.
Ojeda is joined by Johnny Mariano, Ben Cam, Alex Kuzentov, and Eowaan Avgi, to name a few of the athletes looking for a strong year as a team this Fall.
A plus, Gervais has had some 11-man experience in the past as they’ve gone to jamborees the last two years that made them adjust to playing with four more athletes on the field.
“It is a new level with 3A, but I’m sure we’ll be just fine. It’s not a new game for us. We’ve played it before. We’ll be just fine. With the competition that we had, it’s going to be difficult, but I’m pretty sure we can get it done,” said Ojeda.
Gervais will open the season with a jamboree at Scio on August 29 before opening the season on September 5 at Creswell. The Cougars will have their home opener on September 12 against Salem Academy.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
