Venice football 2–2 after falling short against Norwalk. Despite the setback, Head Coach Angelo Gasca said the team has made steady progress and will only continue to improve as league play approaches.
“We’ve made progress each week,” Gasca said.
“We can definitely block and tackle better. We’re going to try to cut down our turnovers, be better on our special teams, and just in every way we can improve.”
That growth started all the way back in the opener against Saint Monica, which gave the team a hard push.
“It went about like how first games go,” he said.
“We struggled at times, and we got better as we played. I think it was a really well-needed game for us to get better. We need to play games. It’s the best way to evaluate our players.”
While the team showed improvement, Gasca said that there’s still room to grow.
“We can definitely block and tackle better,” he said.
“We’re going to try to cut down our turnovers, be better on our special teams, and just in every way we can improve.”
The defense stood out, with Senior ILB Nicholas Stratman, Junior ILB William Oeser, and Senior ATH Joshua Aaron leading the way. Gaska also highlights returning players Senior DE Joseph Iwunze, Senior DE Johnathan Sharp, and Junior LB Donner Livingston.
“The defense played very well on Friday,” he said. “We’re gonna only get better as the season goes.”
On offense, quarterback Bennett Dome and running back Joshua Aaron have been key playmakers, working with improving the offensive line.
“Along with our offensive line, we’re going to continue to develop, and I think we’ll be very good,” Gaska said.
“It’s going to take us a little while because we’re very inexperienced, but we’re confident that we’re going to get there and be a really good team as the season goes on.”
The Norwalk matchup came down to the final moments, with the Gondos just missing a chance to seal the win
Junior Wide receiver Aaron Minter reflected on the game, admitting there was one play he wished he had back.
“I went wrong with dropping the two-point conversion that would have won the game,” Minter said.
As the Gondo’s prepare for their next match, the focus isn’t on adding new plays but on sharpening what’s already in place.
“We’re not going to do anything new this week,” Gasca said.
“We have to execute better the things that we try to do this week. It’s just a matter of polishing things up, putting guys in the right position. Experience is the biggest teacher.”
For Gasca, each Friday night is like a test and one he believes his players will learn from every week.
“Having a game every Friday night is just like having a test in the classroom,” he said. “We get to evaluate ourselves and then gauge where we’re at, and where we’re going. And it’s the only way to get better.”
