The San Francisco 49ers Foundation's Charlie Wedemeyer Memorial Coach of the Week award for week four goes to Tim Lugo of Saratoga High School in San Jose.
Recovery has never felt so great, as Coach Lugo's Saratoga Falcons bounced back from a 2-8 injury-plagued season in 2011 and improved their 2012 record to 3-0 last Friday. The Monta Vista Matadors could not put up a fight as the Falcons soared their way to a 48-7 victory.
An 82 yard Mountain View touchdown within the first two minutes of the game did not discourage Coach Lugo's Falcons Friday night. Saratoga answered back as they recovered Mountain View's fumble on their second drive, and put two touchdowns on the board to wrap up the first quarter. The team carried their momentum through the second, as junior quarterback, Jonathan Walters connected with standout wide receivers Grant Faylor, and Kyle Dozier for back-to-back touchdowns. The two receivers each had 14 carries, with Dozier amassing an outstanding 316 yards. Walters has gone 76 for 97 in the season, now accumulating 917 yards over the first three games.
"He is the most humble kid I have ever met," said Lugo on Walters, "He puts his head down, gets to work, and is always striving to get better. He makes coaching easy."
The Falcons refused to take their foot off the gas, and Jonathan Walters was able to connect on 3 more touchdowns in the second half. No. 52 Henry Wei led the Falcon's defense with 25 tackles and 12 assists. A leader on and off the field, the IV league-bound senior has been applauded for his credible return as the Falcon's inside linebacker after a NCL injury ended his season in the first play of 2011. Wei and the Saratoga 4-2-5 defense were unbeatable for Monta Vista's running game, forcing the Matadors to punt through 3 consecutive quarters. The Louisiana State-influenced no huddle-offense, and the Falcon's dynamic defense combined for a 48-7 blowout over the Monta Vista Matadors.
With a team motto of "Attitude is Everything", and by implementing stronger player safety standards, the Falcons seek to avoid the curse of last season's losing record, when injuries were a key contributing factor.
"Our kids handle adversity really well," stated Coach, "As of now, we cannot control our rank, but it is good to see us high up there where we belong. I don't know how long this will last, but we will never stop trying."
The promising season of Lugo's 3-0 Saratoga Falcons has the media buzzing as they enter their first conference match-up against Wilcox this week.
"We have a tough league, and we are a small school. We just need to remain competitive and survive our league," continued Lugo, "Our goal is to make it to CCS this season, and ultimately win that CCS Championship title."
In addition to being named Coach of the Week, the Saratoga High football program will receive $1,000 from the 49ers Foundation. Coach Lugo 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, Lugo 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.
