FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SHOWDOWN SATURDAY NIGHT

By Jay Leon Guerrero

The heavyweight match up for the coveted ISA High School Football League championship will take place this Saturday between the 2^nd seed George Washington Geckos and the undefeated Father Duenas Friars. The big game will be played on Saturday night at the GW Field in Mangilao.

Head coaches Bruce Meno (FD) and Ryan Rios (GW) will bring their respective squads on the field on Saturday in a classic chess match between the two storied football programs. The last GW title was in 2014 when the Geckos defeated the Friars 12-0. That was the last time the Friars tasted defeat, going on an incredible run with championships since 2015. FD defeated GW in the championship games of 2018 and 2019.

The two teams met last month with the defenses scoring three touchdowns, all three via interceptions returned for touchdowns. The Friars scoring twice and the Geckos scoring once for their respective defenses via INT returns. The Friars won the game 24-7 on October 19^th. 

Regular season game recap

The Friars held the GW offense to 35 yards total on their last matchup, all rushing yards. The Friar offense had their lowest output of the season with 88 total yards, one offensive touchdown was scored late in the game which was set up by good field position from their special teams. 

The Gecko interception was returned by MVP Rayn Rios, the Geckos also managed to sack FD quarterback Kaynin McIntosh three times. Landon Suzuki, Joseph Cruz, and Seth Merfalen all recorded sacks for GW. 

The Friars had two interception returns by Hyan Mesa and Noah Duenas for touchdowns. Tristan Burgos, Isaiha Arriola, and Mason Whitaker all recorded sacks for the Geckos. The Gecko offense also had four fumbles in the contest, one was off a punt return. 

The keys to victory for both teams: both offenses will need to make adjustments and move the chains early in the game. With superb defenses on both sides, the team to have a better day offensively or big breaks on special teams will probably take home the championship.

 “We have a lot of respect for GW, we were glad to get the win that night,” said Burgos. “We made mistakes (in our regular season game) and we look to improve by working hard in practice.”

The Malesso brother running back duo of Jaron and Javin Meno will look to keep momentum going after both eclipsed the 100-yard mark in their semifinal game against the Guam High Panthers. The Friar offense will also look for big plays from receivers Trey Blas, Roy Dirige, and Daethan Alcantara. 

The Geckos were without running back Seth Dumanal in their first regular season match up, his presence will likely provide different options for the Gecko offense in the championship game. Dumanal, along with running back Justin Sablan, will take turns in the backfield for the Geckos. Something also to look to is the connection between quarterback Avian Gumataotao and receiver Corey Charfauros. The duo connected for two touchdowns in their semifinal game against the Southern Dolphins. 

“Our offense was not moving the ball against FD. We need to work hard this week in practice and give it our all no matter what,” said GW quarterback Gumataotao. 

Who will it be? Will the Friars win their 9th straight title extend their current 80-game win streak, or will the Geckos stop the amazing streak and win their first championship in almost a decade?

Keep track of the game on our Guam Sports Network IG and Facebook pages as well as post-game story and photos.