Pioneers, Mats, Firebirds open with wins

By Dick Sparrer

Mountain View is off to a strong start in the 2001 football, and some are touting the Spartans as the title favorite in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League this fall.

But there are a few other clubs who just might have other ideas.

Cupertino, Monta Vista and Fremont all opened the El Camino season off with victories last week, and the three share division lead just a week into league play.

The Spartans are 3-1 following a lopsided 34-13 win over Gunn of the De Anza Division last week, but that was Mountain View's fourth non-league game.

The Spartans have yet to open the league campaign. They will this week, though, and Fremont hopes to be ready for them.

The Firebirds and Spartans will tangle on Oct. 5, 7:30 p.m., at Fremont's Diesner Field.

Fremont is coming off of a 14-0 win over Lynbrook last week when Mike Mattman ran for a couple of touchdowns.

Mattman teamed with Javier Eredia and Donyell Johnson to lead a solid ground attack for the Firebirds. Quarterback Delainy Durgin led the Fremont offense and ran for a 2-point conversion in the third quarter.

Fremont evened its record at 2-2 for the year with the win.

Lynbrook slipped to 2-2 overall. The Vikings will go after their first league win when they visit Cupertino on Oct. 5, 7:30 p.m.

The Pioneers are also 2-2 for the year, but 1-0 in league play after a 14-7 win over Homestead last Saturday.

A couple of touchdown runs by Jim Solchenberger sparked the Pioneers to the win over the Mustangs. Solchenberger scored on a 1-yard run in the first quarter, then broke a 7-7 tie with a 13-yard touchdown run in the third. Gabe Zeballos kicked both extra points.

Homestead had taken the early lead in the game when quarterback Brandon Dougherty hit Garren Strong with a 66-yard touchdown pass. David Johnson kicked the extra point, and the Mustangs were up 7-0 early in the game.

But Solchenberger and Zeballos tied it before the end of the first period, then broke the tie in the third.

Homestead, now 1-3 for the year, will head to Foothill College to face Los Altos on Oct. 5, 7:30 p.m.

Monta Vista, 3-1 for the year after the win over Los Altos last week, will take a break from El Camino play this week, but it will be no week off for the Matadors. The Mats will head to Los Gatos to challenge Saratoga on Oct. 5, 7:30 p.m. The Falcons are 2-2 following a 49-30 loss to Wilcox last Friday.

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