East Union football seeks signature win against Gregori

The players press the tips of their thumbs together and open their palms, creating a “U” with their fingers.

The gesture is rooted in school pride and a supreme confidence in their abilities on the football field.

However, for most of Willie Herrera’s tenure as head coach at East Union, the “U” has been used to form other opinions about the long-suffering program: Underwhelming. Always the underdog. And at times, unbearable to watch.

Those Lancers are no more, Herrera says, and their play this season serves as confirmation. East Union is 2-0 after offensive assaults against Grace Davis and Johansen, the worst teams in the Modesto Metro Conference the last two years.

Davis has lost seven of its last nine games dating to last season, including a 48-0 shutout to Los Banos last week. Johansen hasn’t won a game since Nov. 1, 2012, a span of 22 games.

East Union survived a second-half malaise against the Vikings last Friday, posting its second consecutive 40-point game in a 42-30 victory.

“With our lack of experience in winning, I think it came back to haunt us. We were bigger, faster, stronger, and we were supposed to win,” said Herrera, whose team led 29-6 at the half. “We won’t take anything away from Johansen. They brought it like it was the Super Bowl. It was a lesson we had to learn early, and I appreciate it.”

Now comes the real challenge: a potential league champion at home. East Union welcomes Gregori (3-0) to Dino Cunial Stadium on Friday in what might be the biggest game of the Willie Herrera era.

To be certain, the Herrera-led Lancers have never been undefeated with a chance to beat an opponent above their weight class. East Union was just 6-33 in his first four seasons, and each victory came against a team that would finish with a sub-.500 record.

Gregori, a playoff team a year ago and a chic pick to win the MMC, presents a steppingstone for the “U.”

“This is one of those games we’ve had circled. Every game is super important, but you have those games that are measuring sticks,” Herrera said. “They tell you where you’re at as a program, what you need to work on, and things like that. Gregori is one of those games that will tell us where we’re at. Our boys, they know it.”

In Gregori, East Union sees the traits and tendencies of a familiar opponent. Defensive coordinator Jason Stock likens the Jaguars – with their massive offensive and defensive lines, and punishing ground attack – to the Valley Oak League’s upper crust: Oakdale, Central Catholic and Manteca.

“Looking at the film, they are big and physical. (Demetrius) Vinson is a playmaker. The QB (Cam Calton) is a big kid who isn’t afraid to stick it in there and run. They’ve got a couple of wings that are pretty good football players,” Stock said. “They’re a talented group, and it looks like a lot of guys don’t play both ways.

“We’ll see what we’re made of this week. We see this kind of team in the VOL with Manteca, Central and Oakdale. They’re big and physical, so this will be a good litmus test for us.”

By all accounts, the Lancers have come a long way. East Union hasn’t qualified for the postseason since 2010 in former coach Mike James’ final season. Herrera has paid his dues since taking over, wading through three consecutive 1-9 seasons.

The winds of change began to swirl around the North Union Road campus last fall with the arrival of quarterback Jack Weaver, defensive end Fernando Rodriguez and running back/safety Angel Sena, season-long starters who buoyed a 3-7 campaign as sophomores.

There would be others, too.

Herrera made a bold midseason decision to pull up an additional 11 underclassmen, forging a nucleus in the fires of the VOL. The underclassmen – 14 in all – took their lumps over the final five weeks but showed flashes of brilliance. East Union lost decisively to Central Catholic (52-0) and Manteca (70-21) but edged Lathrop (28-21) and pushed eventual VOL co-champion Sierra (35-21).

“That first game against Central Catholic, those kids got thrown into the fire pretty quickly,” Stock said. “But some of that has paid off. They’re a good group of kids. So even though last year was a bit of a train wreck, it’s paying dividends for us now.”

Today, confidence permeates the practice field, and the “U” has taken on new meaning around the Stanislaus District.

Like, “Uh-oh.”

“Willie, he does things first class out there. I know his guys are going to be prepared,” said Gregori coach Jason McCoy, Herrera’s former teammate at Modesto Junior College. “Willie was a great player at MJC. He’s just a humble, humble man. He’s hungry to get his program over the top, and I just hope this isn’t the week he does it.”

This story was originally published September 14, 2015 at 5:56 PM with the headline "East Union football seeks signature win against Gregori."