WEST VALLEY CITY — Granger coach Pala Vaitu’u has endeavored to teach his players the value of hard work to overcome whatever circumstance they’re dealt in football and in life.
If Friday’s opening game performance versus Syracuse are any indication, the players are taking their coach’s mantra to heart.
The circumstance dealt to the Lancers on Friday involved a 17-0 deficit after just one quarter of play. Granger seemingly rebounded from there, cutting the lead to 17-14 before disaster struck at the end of the first half when a 54-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown by the Titans extended the deficit to 24-14 at the break.
“At first some of our kids were getting a bit chippy and frustrated with all of it, but we helped them calm down and trust in the work they’ve put in,” Vaitu’u said of his team’s attitude at that juncture. “These kids put in the work to turn things around, and once they remembered that, and started to trust in it, things worked out.”
Worked out to the tune of holding Syracuse scoreless in the second half to come away with an extremely satisfying 28-24 win to open the season.
For Vaitu’u, it was his first win as head coach at Granger, after struggling to an 0-11 mark in his first season coaching at the struggling program. It was a mark players wanted to put behind them in earnest, and used the adversity dealt by the COVID-19 pandemic to their advantage.
“I think we gained on some people in the offseason by the work we put in, and I think that showed on Friday,” Vaitu’u said. “We used the restrictions to our advantage, I feel, so that when we were finally ready to give it a full-go, kids were ready and ahead of where I think some other programs were. They didn’t hang their heads. They got to work.”
Of course good leadership is key for any team that hopes to turn things around, and Granger has those type of leaders, according to Vaitu’u. A few of those key leaders are Kadius Fuimaono, receivers Tasi Alatini and Dionzy Fue, along with defensive backs Landon Bates and Tiger Laita, among several others.
“We had so many guys ball out for us last night. It’s hard to name all of them,” Vaitu’u said.
Some would prefer to forget the 0-11 mark put out a season ago, but not the Lancer players, who have maintained it as a tremendous chip on their shoulders.
“Oh no, they think about it constantly. They want to remember it and use it as motivation,” Vaitu’u said. “They’re going to remember it even after this first win — about the adversity they’ve worked hard to overcome, and there’s a lot of adversity here in West Valley, let’s be honest.”
Indeed, West Valley City is economically depressed, relative to most of the Salt Lake City suburbs, and have subsequently taken a backseat to other football programs with regards to overall success.
“We try to teach our kids that it doesn’t matter where you start in life, it’s hard work that will overcome it,” Vaitu’u said. “That it does no good to blame anyone for your circumstances and it’s you who needs to be accountable for your own actions. You can change your circumstances. It’s not easy, but hard work and taking accountability for your own actions will always pay off in the end. And I think the guys are understanding that.”
Of course one game is just that — one game, and there’s a long way to go until Granger proves truly resilient as team. It’s a fact Vaitu’u fully recognizes and remains excited to see what unfolds in the coming weeks.
“How can you not be excited to see how these kids continue to develop?,” he asked rhetorically. “I can’t wait to see it. Last year there’s no way we come back and win the game we had on Friday. It’s different and it’s because of work and great character. So you just want to continue to see it and develop it even more. It’s why I love coaching.”
The Link LonkAugust 16, 2020 at 04:00AM
https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/8/15/21368951/granger-high-school-football-utah-hard-work-warrants-big-comeback-win-over-syracuse
Granger’s hard work warrants big comeback win over Syracuse - Deseret News
https://news.google.com/search?q=hard&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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