The Irvington Vikings extended their record to 5-1 after a big 36-31 victory over the Washington Huskies. Since their first loss in Week 1, the Vikings have now won five in a row and 1-0 in league play.
As a graduate of Irvington High School, Coach Kaufman is no stranger to the Fremont community. After his playing days at Humboldt State, he got a job in Fremont as a P.E. teacher before he became the defensive back coach for Irvington in 2017. In 2018, he served as the defensive coordinator and interim head coach. Once the season was over, the school asked him to stay on as the head coach. Coach Kaufman was able to transfer over as P.E. teacher and continue to build the program.
The Irvington vs. Washington game was a big game for the two programs. "A lot of the athletes know each other and have played with each other in junior high," said Coach Kaufman. In addition, both teams were 4-1, and was the homecoming game for Washington. With so much buzz around the game, Coach Kaufman emphasized discipline all week at practice. The keys to victory for his team were being disciplined physically, emotionally and mentally.
This game turned out to be a close one with both teams going back and forth all night. Coach Kaufman was proud of how his players stepped up especially after being down for most of the game. "Aaryan Shah played lights-out football, going 9-12 with over 100 yards passing and three touchdowns. He also had no turnovers and helped his team score on every possession," said Coach Kaufman.
One of the most memorable moments of the night for the Coach of the Week winner was Shah's running touchdown. After a timeout Shah called a zone midline play where he had a beautiful read and took it 30 yards to the house. The proud moment was the realization that his players made the adjustment, believed in it and executed the play successfully.
As our 49ers PREP Charlie Wedemeyer Memorial Coach of the Week presented by U.S. Bank, Coach Kaufman will receive a $1,000 grant for the Irvington High School football program from the 49ers Foundation. As part of this award, he will also receive two tickets to a 49ers home game where he will be recognized on the field. Coach Kaufman will be featured on the 49ers Cal-Hi Sports Report presented by U.S. Bank on Sunday's at 6 and 10 p.m. on NBC Sports California, which will continue to air throughout the week.
Congratulations, Coach Kaufman.
