By GSF Staff | June 22, 2025

SAN JOSE, CA – The first-ever G-Town Showdown 7v7 & 5v5 Tournament, powered by GetSportsFocus, brought together twelve competitive high school football programs from across Northern California, delivering a full day of high-level competition, raw emotion, and breakout performances. At the heart of it all stood the host school: the Gunderson Grizzlies, who not only claimed the 7v7 championship but also took home the 5v5 lineman title—capping off a perfect day on their home turf.

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For Andrew Fernandez, senior quarterback and longtime GSF 7v7 athlete, the G-Town Showdown was more than just a win—it was a breakthrough. The product of G4G QB training under Coach Tommy McMahon, Fernandez had been to countless GSF tournament finals without hoisting the trophy. That changed Saturday.

“He finally got the shirt!” one coach shouted as Fernandez was handed the coveted black GSF Champions tee—an honor that tournament director Alf Joaquin reminds players, “can’t be bought, only earned.”

With poise and leadership, Fernandez led Gunderson through a loaded bracket that included a 16–15 semifinal win over top-seeded Pioneer and a gritty 6–0 defensive battle against Leland in the championship. The victory comes just weeks after the Grizzlies also won the Foothill College Summer of Champions, marking back-to-back titles under first-year head coach Felipe Avelar.

 

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Coaching Chemistry Fuels a Championship Culture

Coach Avelar credits the program’s momentum to the players and the bond shared among the coaching staff, which includes Coach Neil Duffy-Smith, Coach Dante Funtila, and others with deep roots in the GSF community.

Coach Duffy-Smith, a longtime GSF OL/DL coach, led Gunderson’s 5v5 squad to a dominant performance in the bench press, agility relay, and tire flip relay—securing top seeding and winning the lineman championship.

 

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Leland’s Breakout Under Coach Anthony Herrera

Making noise on the opposite sideline was Leland High School, guided by new head coach Anthony Herrera, who took over in February and immediately began shaping the program’s culture.

 

Herrera praised his coaching staff and singled out senior leader Rory Windsor for setting the tone.

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Standouts and Storylines: Ries, Windsor, Ceralde, and Sacramento High

One of the tournament’s most impressive quarterbacks was Braeden Ries of Pioneer. Ries trains and competes with G4G Family under quarterback coach Tommy McMahon and was part of the team that won the 5th Annual GSF Silicon Valley Classic this past February.

Ries checked every box at the G-Town Showdown—size, arm strength, mobility—and led his team to an undefeated pool play performance, earning the No. 1 seed before falling to Gunderson in the semifinals by just one point, 16–15.

 

Another breakout performance came from Kai Ceralde, the senior quarterback for North Salinas. Known for his precision and composure, Ceralde was dropping dimes all day to his playmakers and showed impressive command of the offense.

Separately, North Salinas also fielded a strong unit in the 5v5 lineman tournament, where they advanced to the championship game before falling to Gunderson.

 

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A Statement Tournament for South Bay Football

From Yerba Buena, Overfelt, and Andrew Hill, to Pitman, Piedmont Hills, and Sobrato, the G-Town Showdown was about more than wins and losses—it was about growth, unity, and competition.

“When coaches tell their players every detail should be paid attention to and count, well, that is what this is. 7v7 is part of it,” said Alf Joaquin. “We here at GetSportsFocus take this seriously to help better the sport.”

With rules, structure, and sportsmanship guidelines in place, the event was a product of months of planning and a strong collaboration between GSF and Gunderson High School.

“After a great Spring tournament series, this was a special opportunity for our team to work with Gunderson,” Joaquin added. “We’re proud to build with programs that care about doing things the right way.”

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FINAL RESULTS

🏈 7v7

• 🏆 Champion: Gunderson

• 🥈 Finalist: Leland

• 🔥 Semifinalists: Pioneer, Sacramento

🛡️ 5v5 Lineman

• 🏆 Champion: Gunderson

• 🥈 Finalist: North Salinas