The Cupertino Courier

Sports

Offensive Matadors get a little defensive in 2007 season

By Mike Barnhart

Monta Vista's football team provided a lot of excitement for its community last season. With a high-scoring offense, the Matadors won their first five games before finishing 3-3 in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League and 6-4 overall.

"We had a great offensive team last season, but this team is significantly different," head coach Jeff Mueller said, after two weeks of practice. "We went to summer camp, and our offense did some good things, but it was the defense that did very well."

That development certainly was not a surprise to Mueller and his staff of assistants. After all, the offense did not have its two biggest weapons.

In 2006, Monta Vista could count on the throwing arm of quarterback Alex Atkins (1,703 yards, 13 touchdowns) and the running and receiving of speedster Marcus Woo (two-time El Camino Division Most Valuable Player). Both are testing the waters of collegiate football this season, Atkins at the University of Redlands in Southern California and Woo at Williamette University in Salem, Ore.

The Matadors also must replace Derek Ley, an effective kick scorer for the past three seasons. Ley earned a soccer scholarship to Temple University in Philadelphia.

"I think we have a good quarterback replacement in Justin Rahn, and we have several athletic guys that we can rotate at the slotback and running back positions," Mueller explained, "so I figure the offense will come along with experience. But I'm not sure, at this point, who will be doing the placekicks. We have four punters, but I don't know who will be doing kickoffs and kick scoring."

Mueller is certain about his defense, though, and believes that several experienced defenders will lead the Matadors to "an exciting, competitive season," starting with a non-league game at Gunderson on Sept. 8, 1:30 p.m.

Specifically, Mueller points to seniors Peter Kosulin (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) Trevor Sambyal (6-foot-2, 200), Matt Moustakas (5-foot-11, 185) and Billy Guardino (5-foot-11, 190).

"Those four will rarely come off the field," Mueller predicted. "We will be rotating a lot of guys at different positions, but those guys are going to play most of the time."

Kosulin, Sambyal and Moustakas all were all-league first-team defensive picks last season. Kosulin and Moustakas will try to control the middle, Kosulin at inside linebacker and Moustakas at nose guard. Meanwhile, Sambyal will play strong safety after two years as an outside linebacker. Guardino, who will be the free safety, joins Kosulin and Sambyal as third-year varsity players.

It will be an all-senior defensive backfield, as returning lettermen Ji Kim (5-foot-10, 175) and Andrew Kahng (5-foot-7, 155) will handle the cornerback spots.

Mueller figures senior Kevin Bernstein (5-foot-10, 200) will team up with Kosulin at inside linebacker. Several players are vying for playing time at outside linebacker and defensive end, but the coach says juniors David Orvick (6-foot-3, 200) and Chase Hayhurst (5-foot-10, 185) "are leading the pack so far."

Orvick and Hayhurst are just two of 20 players that have joined the varsity from last season's championship frosh-soph team, which won the El Camino Division title with a 6-0 record and finished unbeaten at 9-0-1 overall. Eleven of the 20, including Orvick and Hayhurst, were all-league first team selections at the frosh-soph level.

Nick Tong (5-foot-9, 195), the El Camino's frosh-soph Most Valuable Player in 2006, and Jay Voight (5-foot-8, 165), the special teams MVP, are two other juniors that Mueller expects will contribute quickly.

"Nick will be doing all sorts of things for us on offense and defense, and Jay will be heading the return game for us," Mueller said.

Mueller hopes Rahn will enjoy success at quarterback, similar to what Atkins achieved the past two seasons and what Jason Dias did in 2004. Rahn, as the quarterback of the Matadors' frosh-soph squad last season, was the El Camino's Most Valuable Offensive Player.

Guardino, a first team varsity all-leaguer at wide receiver, will provide senior leadership on the offensive side of the ball, along with Moustakas at fullback, Sammy Moon (6-foot, 225) at tackle and Koji Kimurai (5-foot-10, 175) at guard.

Orvick will anchor the line at center, with frosh-soph all-leaguers Graham Paterson (6-foot, 245) expected to start at a guard spot and Josh Cornwell (5-foot-11, 210) at tackle. Seniors Bernstein, Alvin Chiao (6-foot-1, 225), John Vo (5-foot-7, 160) and Nick Sabilia (6-foot-1, 245) and juniors Chris Cantwell (5-foot-11, 245), Joshua Misko (6-foot-2, 200), Erik Wendschlag (6-foot-2, 220) and Mathew Whittker (5-foot-11, 210) provide depth on the line.

Candidates for the running back and slotback positions in the Monta Vista offense include juniors Tong, Hayhurst, Voight, Blake Fitzwater (6-foot, 185), and Aaron Turner (5-foot-10, 175) and returning seniors Max Rickman (5-foot-7, 165), Luis Nunes (6-foot, 165), Matthew Dee (6-foot, 185), Shashwat Kandadhi (6-foot-2, 185), Jon Garcia (5-foot-9, 165), Khang and Sambyal.

Senior newcomers Dustin Brown (5-foot-8, 175) and Salmon Kahn (6-foot, 180) are challenging for playing time at wide receiver and defensive back.

Other juniors from the frosh-soph include Tom Axelson (5-foot-10, 175), Gabriel Bernstein (6-foot-1, 195), Matthew Kim (5-foot-10, 235), Joseph Ma (6-foot, 175), Akash Naidu (5-foot-8, 165), Apoorva Pande (6-foot-2, 185) and Sam Tabatani (5-foot-11, 210).

After Gunderson, the Matadors will play non-league contests against Willow Glen and Prospect, before jumping into the fire of El Camino play against Homestead, Sept. 28 at Diesner Field in Sunnyvale.

Mueller tabs Homestead as the pre-season favorite to win the El Camino, although the Mustangs were winless in the De Anza Division last year and 2-8 overall.

"Homestead, coming down from the upper division, and Fremont, with some great skill players coming back, are the favorites and Saratoga will be tough," Mueller predicted. "In fact, everybody is going to be tough. I think the teams are pretty strong for a 'C' division."

Monta Vista plays the first half of the league schedule on the road, following the Homestead game with Friday nights at Gunn and Cupertino, before hosting Lynbrook for homecoming on Oct. 19 at Cupertino.

The Matadors do not play Fremont until the last week of the season, hosting the Firebirds for a "Senior Night" game on Nov. 8, at Cupertino.