The Cupertino Courier

Cover Story

Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer

Monta Vista seniors (from left) Matt Moustakas, Billy Guardino and Kevin Bernstein are among the many talented football players featured in a special section in todayÕs Cupertino Courier.

Huddle Up

High school football players ready for the 2007 season

By Mike Barnhart

After an injury-plagued season in 2006 produced a disappointing 2-8 record and a winless De Anza Division slate, head coach Charlie Bostic and the Homestead Mustangs are looking forward to new life in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League's El Camino Division.

Not that the Mustangs were dropping like flies last season, but injuries did keep top senior running backs Brian Backo and Shamir Ross off of the field for some division games. However, that meant another back--Kevin Rogers--got more opportunities as the featured runner in the team's power-running attack.

Rogers ran the ball 62 times for 387 yards last season, more than six yards a carry.

With four returning starters on the offensive line and Rogers (5-8, 175) back for his senior season, Bostic believes the Mustangs can rack up big yardage, as they did in last year's Bell Game against Fremont.

Homestead rushed for 235 yards and Rogers romped for 54 of them in the 32-0 non-league shutout of Fremont, the team's only victory other than a forfeit decision over Saratoga.

"The offensive line is a strength with four returning starters," Bostic noted. "If we stay healthy, we can compete for a league title."

Opening the holes up front for Rogers and junior fullback Alex Lumidao (5-foot-9, 210) will be seniors Jeff Neale (5-foot-10, 210), Philip Birton (6-foot-2, 230) and Jefferson Arrellano (5-foot-10, 180) and junior Ben Kimure (6-foot-1, 205). Neale, an all-De Anza second-team selection last season, again will anchor the line at center.

Other linemen hopefuls are returning seniors Casey Anker (5-foot-10, 205) and Nick Nguyen (5-foot-10, 230) and junior Jack Snyder, an all-league performer on the frosh-soph level last season.

Returning seniors Penn Lillie (6-1, 175) and Courtney Dance (6-foot-1, 170) are competing for the tight end position.

Leading the offense will be senior quarterback Rex Blodgett (5-foot-9, 175), who shared the position last year with Alex Jones.

In addition to Rogers and Lumidao, seniors Darnell Green (5-foot-9, 170), J.J. Kizine (5-foot-11, 230) and Ceazar Agront (5-foot-9, 170) provide depth at the running back position.

Homestead's defensive strength will be in its linebacking corps, Bostic said.

"We have five good players competing for two spots--Birton, Anker, Lumidao, Kizine and John Batinich, the only sophomore on the team," said Bostic.

Green, a returning starter, Rogers and Agront are the top candidates in the defensive secondary. Arrellano, another returning starter, provides experience on the defensive line.

With just 32 players, several will be required to play both ways, offense and defense.

"Low numbers is a concern," Bostic said, "but not as much as if we were in the De Anza Division."

Instead, since they dropped down to the El Camino Division, the Mustangs are likely to finish among the top three along with Fremont and Saratoga, Bostic said.

A challenging preseason against three Blossom Valley Athletic League teams--Silver Creek, Branham and Leland--should prepare Homestead for its El Camino opener against Monta Vista. The Mustangs will host the Matadors on Sept. 28 at Diesner Field.

Bostic has five assistant coaches in Milo Lewis, Sam Picture, Jamode Caldwell, Paul Steffen and Leonard Morris. All but Morris worked together for the Mustangs last season.

Running back Kevin Rogers and quarterback Rex Blodgett started their senior season for Homestead in impressive fashion last Friday night.

Rogers romped for 258 yards and two touchdowns and Blodgett connected for a pair of scoring passes as the Mustangs rolled over visiting Silver Creek 33-0 at Diesner Field in Sunnyvale.

Homestead now can equal its win total of 2006 when it travels to Branham on Sept. 7, 3:30 p.m. Branham lost its opener Saturday, 42-6 to North Salinas.

The Mustangs scored in each quarter against the Raiders, building a 19-0 halftime lead, then tagging on a touchdown in each of the last two quarters. Homestead's defensive unit shut down the Silver Creek running game (minus-22 yards). The Raiders did manage to gain 169 yards with its passing game.

Senior tight end Penn Lillie scored Homestead's first touchdown of the season, hooking up with Blodgett on a 25-yard scoring toss in the first quarter.

Rogers, who packed the ball 15 times and averaged more than 17 yards per carry, made it 12-0 with a 15-yard scamper in the second quarter. Homestead added another score before intermission as Blodgett and junior fullback Alex Lumidao combined for a 27-yard touchdown pass.

Homestead's second half touchdowns were courtesy of the running game. Rogers broke free from the Silver Creek defense for 80 yards in the third quarter and J.J. Kizine bolted across the goal line from three yards in the fourth.

Junior Aaron Godwin tagged on PAT kicks after each of the Mustangs' last three touchdowns.

Blodgett attempted just eight passes, completing half of them for 58 yards, most importantly the two TD aerials.

Senior defensive back Darnell Green picked off a Silver Creek pass for the Mustangs.

Cupertino drops
tough opener

Considering that all but eight players were in their first varsity game, Cupertino coach Kyle Fitzpatrick was fairly satisfied when the Pioneers trotted to the locker room at halftime last Friday night with a 13-2 lead.

The second half, however, was another story, and visiting Yerba Buena capitalized for a 14-13 victory.

"We just got tired and made too many mistakes," Fitzpatrick said, explaining the second half that got away. "I thought we were a better team, but in the second half we had trouble getting the ball out of our territory."

Although the Cupertino defense halted drives twice inside its own 5-yard line, it could not prevent the Warriors from cashing in premium field position for a pair of touchdowns in the final two quarters.

"The game was a wake-up call for many of our guys," Fitzpatrick said. "It was their first varsity game, which is played at a higher speed and a higher impact. Some of them, I'm sure, learned a lot. This game will make us better in the long run."

Yerba Buena scored the game's first two points when Cupertino sailed a long snap over the punter's head and through the end zone for a safety. Later in the period, Cupertino went ahead on a 50-yard run by junior Kyle Moyles. A fumbled exchange between the center and holder spoiled the PAT attempt and the Pioneers had to settle for a 6-2 lead.

Cupertino stretched the lead to 13-2 in the second quarter, as Moyles followed a fine lead block by junior fullback Koushawn Zahrae to score his second touchdown on a short run. Junior Sahand Reiisieh kicked the PAT.

Fitzpatrick praised the entire defense, but singled out Zahrae, a top tackler from his linebacker position. Senior Trevor Criddle stopped one Yerba Buena drive with an interception.

The Pioneers do not have a game this week, so they have extra time to prepare for their next contest, Sept. 14 at Del Mar.

The other local teams participated in scrimmages last week and will start the new season this week.

Fremont and The King's Academy play on Friday night. The Firebirds will host Jefferson of Daly City at 7:30 p.m., while the Knights visit Overfelt at 7 p.m.

Monta Vista and Lynbrook both play away from home on Saturday at 1:30 p.m., the Matadors at Gunderson and the Vikings at Del Mar.