The San Francisco 49ers Foundation's Charlie Wedemeyer Memorial Coach of the Week award for week seven goes to Kelly King from Milpitas High School.
It was lights out for the Santa Clara Bruins this past Friday as the Milpitas Trojans crushed their five game winning streak in a 23-0 victory. The Trojans are now tied for first in the league with a 3-0 record, and the Bruins have slipped to second at 2-1.
The first quarter painted the image of a tough match ahead between Kelly King's Trojans and undefeated Santa Clara. However, running back Ronnie Reed got the Trojans' rally going in the second when he connected on a 23 yard pass to wide receiver Tre Hartley for a touchdown. With just under a minute left in the first half, Reed rushed 1 yard to widen the gap for the Trojans, leading the Bruins 16-0 as they headed into the third quarter.
Reed, only a junior, has no problem taking on the role of a leader on his varsity team, as Coach Kelly expressed, "Reed can implement the morals every quarterback should have. He can be expected to lead the team through challenges, and be consistent and smart on the field, in the classroom, and all around campus."
The four-year varsity fullback, Vita Vea crushed the Bruin's hopes of a comeback with four minutes left in the last quarter when he rushed 8 yards for a touchdown, solidifying a 23-0 shutout for the Trojans. The Milpitas win came with an accumulation of 350 yards, 218 of those passing, and 132 rushing. Coach King's spread offense was led by Vea who ended with 23 yards on 3 carries, returning league MVP running back Squally Canada, and Tre Hartley who had 5 catches and 163 yards. Hartley, who has 7 interceptions on the season as defensive back, teamed up with senior nose tackle Eric Palomo to disrupt Santa Clara's inside running game and prevent the Bruins from scoring their season average of 34 points.
"We were able to spread the ball around, and keep our feet on the ground," said King, "We will continue to come to work every day, improve our fundamentals, and understand that the concept of what it means to be a team is what we need to be successful."
Kelly King's efforts to keep his team moving in a positive direction are also implemented in the categories of player safety and student-athlete. The Milpitas football program reflects on the team's "make others better" motto at study hall every week, when they help their peers with academic challenges, and bring in tutors to ensure all athletes are eligible to help their team reach success. When the Trojans are not studying or executing on the field, they are fundraising to obtain new equipment and helmets to provide the best in player protection.
"What we do is bigger than ourselves, therefore as a team we try to reach that through hard work," reflected King.
Coach King's Milpitas Trojans will continue to prove their dedication and work ethic as they prepare for a league matchup under the Friday night lights against the 3-3 Wilcox Chargers.
In addition to being named Coach of the Week, Kelly King's Milpitas High football program will receive $1,000 from the 49ers Foundation. Coach King will also be featured in a KRON 4 interview with Gary Radnich, receive two tickets to a 49ers home game where he will be recognized on the field before the game, as well as an article on 49ers.com. In the weeks leading up to the on-field recognition, King will be invited to visit the 49ers training facility in Santa Clara to watch a private practice and receive a certificate from 49ers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh.
