Over the course of the last few weeks, controversy arose for the varsity football team. A three sport athlete and football player, Guillermo Salazar, was dismissed from the team after the head coach, Christian Mahaffey, did not excuse Salazar’s absence from a game.
Fellow teammates were outraged by his removal from the team after hearing that his absence was due in part to a baseball recruitment trip in Arizona.
As a result, the majority of the senior players on the team quit in order to show support for their teammate. With coverage from local news stations and the Sacramento Bee, the senior players attempted to rejoin the team.
Players, parents and coaches all gathered for a meeting in which Principal Brian Ginter was left to make the decision as to whether the seniors should be reinstated.
The following day, the players were notified that the varsity team’s head coach had been fired and the seniors would not be allowed to play in one game.
Soon after, Cordova’s former coach Max Miller was appointed as the new head coach. He changed the previous punishment of missing a game to alternatively working community service hours.
Since Miller’s employment, the varsity team has altered their techniques and strategies. Senior player Matt Laffey said, “I think that he has the ability to turn this program around and to make a real connection with the players.”
With only one game left, the boys hope to drive their way to a win under their new coaching staff. The final league game is set for Saturday Oct. 6 against the El Camino Eagles on the Raider home field. The JV game begins at noon, followed by the varsity game at 2.