By Tony Gonsalez

Special to Chabot College

On a day of tribute to a Chabot legend, the Gladiators closed out nonconference play with a spirted comeback in a 34-22 defeat to San Jose City at Gladiator Stadium.

The college honored the memory of beloved former longtime football coach Pete Davis — a Chabot Athletics Hall of Fame inductee out of Castro Valley High. He passed away on Sept. 13 after battling prostate cancer.

Former Chabot players Brian Goodell and Brian Alexander posted tributes to Davis on social media. Goodell, who attended the game, said "Coach Davis led us all."

The Gladiators had some positives in Saturday's effort. Chabot did its best to overcome a 27-point, second-half deficit, but the Gladiators were essentially done in on a key fourth-quarter turnover.

It was tough going before the Glads finally got rolling.

When San Jose quarterback Will Augenstein connected with Jamir Shephard for the third time on a touchdown, the Jaguars looked unstoppable with a 27-0 lead at the 10:40 mark of the third quarter.

Chabot got on the board when Kwame Frenchwood returned a blocked extra-point-attempt 98 yards for Chabot's first two points.

Malakai Matthews followed with a 56-yard touchdown reception from Harris Nekrawesh 85 seconds later.

After Augenstein found Jordan Mayfield for an 11-yard touchdown, Chabot responded. Landis Green returned the ensuing kickoff 70 yards for a Chabot score. Matthews scored on a 6-yard scoring strike from Nekrawesh with 2:06 left in the third to cut the San Jose lead to 12.

Chabot was unable to get any closer. Nekrawesh finished with 170 yards and two scores passing, and Matthews hauled in six passes for 115 yards. Andres Viernes added a fourth quarter interception for Chabot.

The Gladiators (3-3, 0-1) will travel to Los Medanos on Saturday in Pacific 7 Conference play.

 

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REMEMBERING PETE DAVIS

Pete Davis, a 2014 inductee into the California Community College Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, graduated from Castro Valley High in 1965 and played football, basketball and baseball, and moved on to Chabot College where he played baseball and was a tight end/tackle in 1966 and '67.

He was inducted in the Chabot Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.

He is remembered as a great mentor, motivator, coach and friend.

He played two years at Weber State and was All Conference and named to the Little All American team in 1969. At Cal, he was a graduate Assistant Coach for Ray Wilsey and earned a Master's degree. In the next 6 years he coached football as an Assistant Coach at Castro Valley High, Chabot, and University of Riverside. After returning to Chabot in 1976, he spent almost all of the next 37 years teaching physical education and coaching football. For 23 years he was an assistant coach as Chabot won eight Golden Gate Conference championships. As an assistant, he coached the defensive line for four years and the offensive line for 12 years. Pete was Chabot head coach for five years and won the Golden Gate Conference in 1991.