There is so much joy to be found in playing on the Poly High School football team. The tension building while waiting for the kickoff. The roar of the crowd cheering you on. The sense of accomplishment when the last quarter has ended, and knowing your team has won. The sound of the band pronouncing your victory. And Timothy Gomez has enjoyed this life for almost a decade.
Gomez is one of the senior captains for Poly High School’s football team. He is one of their anchors for defense, coach Stephen Barbee said.
Barbee said that Gomez is a laid-back, carefree person that cares a lot for both his family and his friends. He is very involved in his religion as well.
Barbee has also said that Gomez is in one of his classes as a teacher’s assistant. Gomez has high character and efficiently helps out the students in the class. He is a high-achieving student, and with a 3.5 GPA, his hard work has put him in an excellent position, Barbee said.
Gomez first started playing football when he was nine years old. His father was a big inspiration for him, as he used to play, as well.
One of Gomez’s teammates, Mase Suaava, calls Gomez a leader and a great player on the team that other players look up to because of his disciplined playing style. Gomez is goofy, knows how to have fun and make people laugh, while also being hard-working and dedicated, Suaava said.
While he thinks he is a good player, Gomez considers all of his teammates to be equally as valuable. “You know… in football, there’s 11 people on the field, so everybody has to do their job,” he said. “So if one person isn’t…holding up their part of the deal, it can go wrong for everybody.”
Besides sports, Gomez is a part of a Christian club at Poly High School called Cru Club where he participates in Bible studies. He also enjoys working out, going to see movies, and hanging out with his friends.
Gomez has talked to a few schools about playing football in college, but he is not yet sure where he will end up. He hopes he will know within the next few weeks, and if not, he plans to attend a junior college in the area. He is considering studying either law or business.
With a new team and new coaches, Gomez said that while this past season didn’t turn out how they would have liked it to, it did go well. “It was good that we, well, just came together and… made it work.”