SALINAS — A celebration for the ages, one that nearly didn’t come to fruition — warranted Steve Zenk walking out of ‘The Pit’ at Salinas High soak and wet for the second straight week.
Coaxed into coming to Salinas a decade ago by then head coach Steve Goodbody to be an assistant coach, Zenk put his name in front of the iconic coach.
Zenk, who speaks weekly with Goodbody, broke his mentor’s school record for wins as a football coach Friday, registering No. 68 after the Cowboys 49-14 win over Monterey.
“I’m extremely proud of coach Zenk,” said Goodbody, who now lives in Nebraska. “I’m proud of his staff and the entire Cowboys program. What a milestone.”
Zenk, who celebrated his birthday last week by tying the school mark, has gone 44-4 over eight seasons in the Gabilan Division. He’s won six league titles and a Central Coast Section Division I crown since his arrival.
“I wouldn’t even be coaching if it wasn’t for coach Goodbody,” Zenk said. “He called me and asked me to come coach with him after I stepped down at North Salinas. It sounded like a good place to be.”
Salinas, which is chasing a 17th straight playoff spot, has outscored its last two Gabilan Division opponents 94-14 in improving to 3-1 in divisional play, with undefeated Palma on the horizon next Friday.
“I will think about Palma in the morning,” said Zenk, a Palma graduate, who has beaten the Chieftains six straight times in the Gabilan Division. “I’m going to enjoy this win for a few hours. A lot of players and coaches are a part of this record.”
Zenk, who has 104 career wins as a head coach, having had a stint at North Salinas before coming to Salinas, made sure the potential of setting a new record was not a topic of conversation all week, or a distraction.
“Honestly, I didn’t really think about it,” Zenk said. “My focus was on making sure we do all the right things. I thought we really played good football. I thought we adjusted well. Maybe I’ll have a different opinion after watching film.”
Big plays were a theme for the Cowboys as four of their seven touchdowns were of 35 yards or longer, with JP Perez catching a pair of touchdowns covering 35 and 51 yards, while taking a jet sweep 50 yards for six points.
Depth continues to be one of Salinas’ weapons, as Isaak Hernandez made his season debut, rushing for a pair of touchdowns in sharing the carries.
“We had a kid rush for over 100 yards last week that played on the JVs’ this week,” Zenk said. “I don’t like having kids coming up and sitting and watching. It’s nice to have a little depth.”
Sophomore quarterback Michael Andrade accounted for three touchdowns in the first half when Salinas built a 28-0 lead with two scoring strikes and a rushing touchdown. Hovan Lusk returned a kickoff 76 yards to cap the scoring.
“The challenge we are facing is continuity,” Monterey coach Alex Besaw said. “I don’t think we have had two consecutive games where all 11 players have been on the field together. We’re decimated with injuries. We lost more players tonight.”
At 4-3 overall, the Toreadores are very much in the postseason chase. Four automatics come out of the Gabilan Division, with the potential for two at-large teams, regardless of their finish in the division, as it’s based on points.
“The message to the kids is circumstances can’t define us,” Besaw said. “We have to play with the cards we’ve been dealt. We are moving forward, treating each game from this point as a playoff game.”
After giving up 141 points in their first four games, the Cowboys have allowed just 14 in the last eight quarters, shutting out their last two opponents in the first half, while outscoring them 49-0.
Linebackers Travis Keegan and Miles Uriquez, along with defensive lineman Uriyah Sagrero helped shut down the Toreadores, who did establish a 10-minute drive in the second half, with Dekota Ordonio tossing a touchdown pass and rushing for one.
“The score won’t indicate it,” said Besaw, whose squad will host Hollister next Friday. “But this was our most disciplined game of the season. Now we have to ramp up if we want to extend our season.”
