Football
GECKOS DISMANTLE BULLDOGS IN FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON
GW finally gets to see action on the field
By Daniel Akimoto
The GW Geckos made a thunderous statement on a rainy Tuesday night with a commanding 56-0 victory over the Okkodo Bulldogs in a rescheduled game that was originally set for opening night. The win showcased GW’s offensive firepower and defensive dominance, as they held the Bulldogs to negative yardage.
Quarterback Jace Dela Cruz led the charge for the Geckos, scoring three touchdowns on just three carries, totaling 67 yards. His explosive performance set the tone early, with touchdown runs of 20 and 41 yards in the first quarter.
On defense, Rayn Rios, Landon Suzuki, and Ty Leon Guerrero anchored a relentless Gecko unit. Rios recorded six tackles, including three for loss, while Leon Guerrero added a safety sack that extended GW’s lead to 16-0 in the opening quarter.
The Geckos, who hadn’t played a game due to a forfeit by Guam High in Week 2, came out hungry and focused. “Leading up to these games, we just stayed hungry,” said Rios. That hunger translated into 267 total offensive yards, while the defense stifled Okkodo, holding them to minus-22 yards.
GW’s scoring barrage began with Dela Cruz’s 20-yard touchdown run, followed by his 41-yard sprint to the end zone. Leon Guerrero’s safety and a 15-yard touchdown run by Justin Sablan capped off a dominant first quarter, putting GW up 23-0.
Dela Cruz added his third touchdown in the second quarter on a 6-yard run, though a bad snap on the extra point left the score at 29-0 heading into halftime.
Despite rotating through their depth chart in the second half, the Geckos didn’t slow down. They added 27 more points, with touchdowns from Justin Sablan, Ashtyn Gumataotao, Ziah Diaz, and another from Justin Sablan.
The Bulldogs, though outmatched, showed resilience. Sahi Santos led Okkodo’s offense with 14 yards on 9 carries, while Tristen Martinez led the defense with six tackles.
GW’s dominance reaffirms their status as one of the league’s top contenders, but the team remains grounded. “Of course [our goal is] the championship,” said Rios, “but we cannot win the championship if we don’t look forward [to] the next game and fix our mistakes.”
Up next, the Okkodo Bulldogs face the Sanchez Sharks this Friday at JFK. The Geckos have their scheduled bye and will take on the Sharks the following week, also at JFK.
Note: the Bulldogs still don’t have their uniforms and most wore their youth football jerseys once again.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
GW: 7-0 – Jace Dela Cruz 20-yard run (Whitman kick)
GW: 14-0 – Jace Dela Cruz 41-yard run (Whitman kick)
GW: 16-0 – Ty Leon Guerrero safety sack
GW: 23-0 – Justin Sablan 15-yard run (Whitman kick)
2nd Quarter
GW: 29-0 – Jace Dela Cruz 6-yard run (kick failed)
3rd Quarter
GW: 35-0 – Jayce Sablan 9-yard run (kick failed)
GW: 42-0 – Ashtyn Gumataotao 3-yard run (Whitman kick)
4th Quarter
GW: 49-0 – Rieko Mendiola 3-yard run (Whitman kick)
GW: 56-0 – Justin Sablan 21-yard run (Whitman kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATS
PASSING
Okkodo: Davien Meno 0-2-0 0 yrds; GW: Jace Dela Cruz 1-4-0 22 yrds
RUSHING
Okkodo: Sahi Santos 9-14, Tristen Martinez 3-4, Davien Meno 1-(-2), Paul Quenga 3-(-7), #16 1(-5); GW: Jayce Sablan 8-72 (1TD), Justin Sablan 5-67 (2TD), Jace Dela Cruz 3-67 (3TD), Ashtyn Gumataotao 4-29 (1TD), Seth Dumanal 2-10, Rieko Mendiola 1-3 (1TD)
RECEIVING
Okkodo: None. GW: Landon Susuki 1-22
TOP TACKLES
Okkodo: Tristen Martinez 6, Sahi Santos 5, Rexsan Tnaw 4, Noah Martinez 3, Tua-Latte Castro 3; GW: Rayn Rios 7, Landon Susuki 3.5, Ty Leon Guerrero 3
SACKS
Okkodo: None; GW: 4 (Rios, Susuki, Leon Guerrero, Flores)
PENALTIES
Okkodo: 3-15; GW: 4-25
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