West Shores football team fighting for each other, community
If you take a trip down highway 86 you’ll eventually run into the Salton City, a town with a population of around 3,000. Everywhere you look there is unfinished and abandoned houses, and that’s where the summer Salton breeze rolls off the western shores.
Jose Dominguez, a senior in high school, says it’s “pretty nasty” but he’s used to it after 12 years.
That is where you are going to find West Shores High School. The home of 25-players looking to keep Wildcat football alive.
“This is where there happy space is.” said Gustavo Sandoval, the first year Head Coach of the Wildcats. “I tell the kids when they come here, leave your personal life at the door and enjoy the 2-hours we have together. For a lot of them this is a life saver. Gives them something to do other than doing nothing.”
“Fun time with your friends, being home, always helps with people at home that have bad things going for them.”Anthony Murillo, a Senior Center said. “A way to get out of it.”
Last year at this time late in the summer as the days were getting closer to football season, the team was left with just 7-players and no head coach.
“Frustrating, it was my junior year.” said Dominguez, who plays quarterback position. “Wanted to have two good seasons at least, and it was me and six other guys out here during the summer and nobody else.”
Nobody applied for the position, so the athletic director took over. He was left with no choice.
“They had to let go of the first five games cause they didn’t have players, Sandoval said, “Trying to get the offense and defense going cause they didn’t meet at all in the summer.”
The last five games of the year, they gave teams all they could handle. They even pulled out two victories, and set themselves up for this season. This includes not only 25-players, but a true head coach in Gustavo Sandoval.
“People person, I am going to treat them like they are my children,” said Coach Sandoval. “I won’t treat them any different. If you treat them nice they are going to come out for you, if you treat them with respect and dignity they will walk on fire for you if they wanted.”
Murillo said the improvement was evident. “The mood changed greatly, people they noticed. Started coming out, a bigger team.”
“I was excited actually, he is a really good coach. 25-years and I am happy to be one of his players.” said Dominguez.
A football team that is starting to come together as one, as they try to put West Shores High School on the map.
“No one talks about West Shores.” the coach said. “My goal is to make us competitive and get people talking about us.”
The optimism spreads to his players. “We are going to win games this year,” said Murillo.
