Editor’s Note: Below is a questions and answers column running each Tuesday called “Coach’s Corner.” Sports editor Josh Koehn and former Gavilan football coach Bob Garcia, father of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jeff Garcia, will talk about all things football.
Koehn: Bobby, it’s Josh Koehn
Garcia: Hey, Josher. What’s going on?
K: Not much. How you doing?
G: I’m doing good. I just got a haircut (from my wife, Linda). How about that?
K: I heard. I heard you’re ready to go. I heard you’re all ready for the Inauguration, looking sharp.
G: I couldn’t make it over there (to Washington), but I’m having a big party at my place?
K: Are you having a party?
G: No. (laughing)
K: Well, I know you’re a big Obama guy and you know I am, so we’re both excited for this.
G: I think it’s going to be great. I hope everything works out for him.
K: Yeah, he’s going to have a tough road, but I think he’ll do a great job. I have a friend out in Washington right now and he was at the big concert they had on Sunday—
G: Wasn’t it beautiful. I watched it on TV. Did you watch it?
K: I saw some of it and it was just huge. My friend said there were 400,000 people there, the biggest crowd he’s ever seen. And he said [today] they’re expecting 2,000,000.
G: Yeah, especially as cold as it was, and everybody out there, and all those songs that all those artists sang, it just gave me goose pimples — just so proud to be an American.
K: Yeah, it really is a great time to be an American, no doubt about it.
G: But anyhow, my Steelers are still rolling. (more…)

Below are the latest high school state football rankings, according to CalHiSports.com.
Things are starting to fall into place for Gilroy making a state bowl game appearance, assuming the Mustangs can continue to stay undefeated. Following a 60-14 win over Allisal, Gilroy (7-0) has moved up to the highest ranking in school history, 18. Gilroy was ranked 19 last week.
The climb came on the heels of fellow Central Coast Section member Bellarmine (No. 3 last week) being upset by Serra (23), following a Bells (now ranked 19) victory over Valley Christian (20) a week before.
Oak Grove (No. and Gilroy now have control over their fate. One of the two would be the clear-cut favorite to represent the North in the Open Division bowl game if Gilroy or Oak Grove went into the playoffs flawless and then ran the table in the three-round tournament.
(Previous ranking in parentheses)
1.    (1)  Poly (Long Beach) 7-0
2.    (2)  Centennial (Corona) 7-0
3.    (4)  De La Salle (Concord) 6-1
4.    (5)  Oceanside 7-0
5.    (6)  St. Bonaventure (Ventura) 6-1
6.    (7)  Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 7-0
7.    (8)  Los Alamitos 7-0
8.    (9)  Oak Grove (San Jose) 7-0
9.    (10)  Granite Bay 7-0
10.  (11)  Grant (Sacramento) 7-0
11.  (12)  Crespi (Encino) 6-1
12.  (13)  Oaks Christian (Westlaike Village) 7-0
13.  (15)  Bishop Amat (La Puente) 6-1
14.  (14)  Redlands East Valley (Redlands) 7-0
15.  (17)  Lutheran (Orange) 6-1
16.  (18)  Monte Vista (Danville) 7-0
17.  (21)  Tesoro (Las Flores) 7-0
18.  (19)  Gilroy 7-0
19.   (3)  Bellarmine (San Jose) 6-1
20.  (23) Valley Christian (San Jose) 6-1
21.  (24)  Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 7-0
22.  (20)  St. John Bosco (Bellflower) 6-1
23.   (nr)  Junipero Serra (San Mateo) 4-3
24.   (nr)  Chaparral (Temecula) 6-1
25.  (22)  Edison (Huntington Beach) 5-2
(more…)

Bob Burch told me when I was first hired as sports editor of the Gilroy Dispatch that he wouldn’t bother learning my name since the next guy would be here in a week. Instead, he simply started calling me “Number 54.”
Apparently, that’s how many sports editors have come through these doors during his time in Gilroy. (I’m not sure if that’s saying more about the number of people who have worked here or if Burch is dating himself …)
Anyway, a year has passed and I’m still standing, and I want to welcome you to the first blog in the Gilroy Dispatch’s 140-year history. Devoted strictly to sports, GarlicSports.com is all about giving you, the reader, a chance to sound off on any and all topics related to Gilroy and Bay Area sports. We’ll be focusing on local youth sports, high schools, colleges and the pros.
After reading my stuff for the last 12 months, I would wager you’ve formed an opinion on the work I do, which you’re more than welcome to share. The point of this blog, though, is to get people talking about the stories we all care about: Who will be the next star athlete from Gilroy? Can GHS football get back to the CCS championship game this fall? Is Jeff Garcia going to finish his career in Tampa Bay?
You get the idea.
There aren’t any restrictions on how much you can contribute to the comments section, and the hope is you have a viewpoint that gets others to sound off. This blog is about supplementing our coverage in print and online, and getting a conversation going with the community. If you have story ideas, please continue to send tips by e-mail to sports@gilroydispatch.com or submit them online rather than using the forum to get attention.
My only request is that readers keep it clean. For the kids. The Dispatch love the kids.