The Cupertino Courier

Sports

Del Mar drops Cupertino to 0-2

By Greg Lydon

An injury to starting tailback Kyle Moyles in the season opener mixed with several other prominent injuries and a lack of depth on the roster spelled trouble for the Cupertino football team.

The Pioneers ran into a red-hot Del Mar team coming off its first win in over a year and were flattened 49-0 Friday afternoon, falling to 0-2 on the season.

After suffering a heartbreaking 14-13 loss to Yerba Buena last week, where a mishandled extra point cost the Pioneers the game, the team went on the road but couldn't contain the stable of Del Mar playmakers.

The first play of the game was an ominous sign of things to come for the Pioneers as they fumbled the ball on the first play from scrimmage, leading to a Del Mar field goal.

More defensive big plays followed for the Dons as one of Del Mar's young playmakers caused more problems for Cupertino.

Sensational junior Jordan Richardson stepped in front of a Cupertino slant route and snatched his second interception in as many games, taking the pick 37 yards for the defensive touchdown.

Cupertino coach Kyle Fitzpatrick decided to make a quarterback change midway through the second quarter as he looked for a jolt for his offense as Cupertino trailed 29-0.

Michael Duran had run up 70 yards rushing and receiving for Cupertino before being called upon in the second quarter to revive a struggling offense. Starter Travis Carter-Kneer had 18 yards passing on six attempts.

Duran, a lefthander, nearly won the job from Carter-Kneer in summer practice but Fitzpatrick decided the competition was too close to call and gave each signal-caller two quarters of action in the team's season opener last week.

"Guys didn't quit and in a game like this that's a positive thing we can pull from going into league play," Fitzpatrick said.

Cupertino visits Wilson Prep of Oakland on Sept. 20, 7:15 p.m., before opening league play at Saratoga on Sept. 28.